THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

Rare  Book  Room 
GIFT  OF 

John  W.  Beckman 


r% 


FRONTISPIKCK. 


Heautiful  Berthn. 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  I. 
Honey-pot  Brook, .,7 

CHAPTER  H. 
Miss  Nancy, 34 

CHAPTER  m. 
Treasures  Discovered,     -       -       -       -       -       -       -21 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Grotto, 33 


CHAPTER  V. 
The  Fairies, 44 

" 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Beauty  and  the  Brook, 52 


IV  CONTENTS. 

PAGH 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  wrong  Pew, 6! 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Style  m  a  Shandrydan, 76 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Patsy  Gracy, 90 

CHAPTER  X. 
Work  and  Play,      -  100 

CHAPTER  XL 
Love  of  the  Beautiful,    -  -  106 

CHAPTER  XII. 
St.  George  and  the  Dragon,    -  -    117 

CHAPTER  XHI. 
Esther's  Influence, 131 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
An  unexpected  Visitor,  -       -        -        -        -        -        -138 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Mr.  Perrit's  Fancy  Sketch,      -----  149 


CONTENTS.  V 

PACK 

CHAPTER  XYI. 
A  sad  Farewell,      -  161 

CHAPTER  XVIL 
The  Beauty  at  School, 165 

CHAPTER  XVHI. 
A  sudden  change  ot  Scene, 173 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Ivy  Cottage  Fireside, 173 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Who  comes  now  ?--------    185 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Delicate  Kindness, 206 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
A  Letter  to  the  Dead, -    213 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Grand  Expectations, 226 

CHAPTER  XXTV. 
News  from  the  Antipodes, 231 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Under  an  Umbrella,        -  235 


VI  CONTENTS. 

PAOE 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
An  overwhelming  Surprise, 243 

CHAPTER  XXVn. 
The  Ivory  Casket, 250 

CHAPTER  tXXYIII. 
Gratitude, -    259 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
u  Not  expected  to  happen," 268 


CHAPTER  I 

HONEY-POT   BROOK. 

Honey-pot!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Perrit, 
with,  boyish  glee. 

Mr.  Perrit  and  his  daughters,  Esther  and 
Louisa,  had  left  the  railroad,  over  which  they 
had  traveled  more  than  two  hundred  miles,  and 
were  driving  in  a  one-horse  wagon  to  the  village 
of  Sylvania. 

The  sun  was  just  sinking  in  the  west  as  they 
came  in  sight  of  Honey-pot  brook. 

"  Brook !  Do  you  call  this  a  brook  ?"  ex 
claimed  Louisa.  "  Why,  a  brook  is  just  a  nar 
row  stream  that  I  could  jump  over." 

"  Later  in  the  season  you  will  be  able  to  jump 
over  this  brook.  It  is  now  swollen  by  the  snow 
and  rain.  Many  a  time,  when  I  was  a  boy, 
have  I  followed  its  winding  course,  and  waded 
three  or  four  miles  in  its  waters." 


8  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

"  But  what  a  queer  name  it  has,"  remarked 
Esther. 

"  I  always  liked  its  name,"  replied  Mr.  Per- 
rit ;  "  and  the  brook  seemed  perfectly  contented 
with  it,  too,  dancing  over  the  smooth  pebbles, 
and  winding  its  shining  way  through  groves 
and  green  meadows,  and  bounding  over  huge 
rocks,  as  merrily  as  any  brook  in  the  whole 
world." 

"  It  is  awfully  wide  and  deep  now ;  how  are 
we  to  get  over  ?"  anxiously  demanded  Louisa. 

"  By  going  right  through,  to  be  sure ;  come, 
old  horse,  jog  along."  So  saying,  Mr.  Perrit 
snapped  the  whip,  and  the  horse  splashed  in 
up  to  his  knees,  and  then  stood  still  to  take  a 
draught  of  cool  water. 

c-  Oh  dear,  dear,  this  is  a  deep  river,  I  know 
it  is;  you  have  forgotten  the  road,  papa,  and 
the  brook,  too,"  said  Louisa,  with  tears  rushing 
over  her  cheeks. 

"  Not  remember  Honey-pot  brook !  I  have 
forgotten  many  things,  change  has  come  over 
many  more,  but  this  brook  is  as  familiar  to  me 
as  the  face  of  your  mother.  Those  very  wil 
lows,  now  so  rough  and  gnarled,  were  then  in 


HONEY-POT  BKOOK.  9 

their  glorious  prime,  drooping  gracefully  over 
the  brook.  Just  beyond  that  rock  yonder  there 
is  a  deep  pool,  where  it  was  glorious  fun  to 
bathe  and  swim." 

"The  willows  already  show  that  spring  has 
come,"  said  Esther. 

"  Yes  ;  they  are  the  last  to  put  off  their  green 
ness  in  the  autumn,  and  the  first  to  put  it  on  in 
the  spring." 

"  Green !  Why,  papa,  they  are  a  bright  yel 
low,  and  look  like  giant  street-brooms,"  replied 
Esther. 

"  Do  let  us  get  out  of  this  deep  water,"  en 
treated  Louisa. 

"  Well,  come,  old  horse,  you  have  had  a  very 
good  draught,  we  will  go  on,"  said  her  father ; 
and  soon  they  were  on  the  other  side  of  the 
brook. 

"  What  a  feathery  look  the  dark  trees  have — 
what  is  that  owing  to,  papa  ?"  asked  Esther. 

"The  buds  are  starting.  A  month  earlier 
these  trees  were  of  a  dull  uniform  color ;  now 
they  are  a  soft,  rich  brown,  contrasting  beauti 
fully  with  the  clear  March  sky." 

"  And  there  are  as  many  shades  of  brown  as 


10  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

we  could  find  in  Muller's  worsted-shop,"  said 
.  Louisa,  who,  now  they  were  safely  over  the  brook, 
had  found  her  spirits  as  well  as  her  tongue. 

"  But  who  ever  saw  worsted  of  so  pure  and 
heavenly  a  blue  as  this  country  sky  ?  Look  up, 
papa,  the  trees  overhead  form  a  brown  net-work 
contrasting  charmingly  with  the  sky,"  said  her 
sister. 

Esther  had  always  lived  in  the  crowded  street 
of  a  large  city,  and  had  only  seen  the  smoky 
sky  over  the  tops  of  tall  houses. 

"  Oh !  do  see  that  flock  of  white  geese,  fol 
lowing  their  leader  in  solemn  procession,  Indian 
file.  Did  you  ever  see  anything  so  funny  and 
so  absurd  ?"  asked  Louisa. 

"Yes,  indeed,  my  child;  it  seems  like  the 
very  same  flock,  thirty  years  ago,  that  marched 
home  every  evening.  I  hope  you  will  love  the 
country  now  as  I  did  then.  But  here  we  are  at 
the  old  homestead."  As  Mr.  Perrit  said  this, 
he  turned  the  horse's  head  towards  an  old  pear 
tree,  in  front  of  a  large  log-house,  almost  cov 
ered  with  ivy. 

"  Surely,  papa,  this  was  not  your  birth-place ; 
it  is  a  log-house,"  said  Louisa. 


HONEY-POT  BROOK.  11 

Mr.  Perrit,  without  replying,  sprang  out  of 
the  wagon,  and  then,  as  he  lifted  the  young 
girls  out,  they  noticed  that  tears  were  filling  his 
eyes.  Beloved  parents  had  gone  to  the  grave 
since  he  had  visited  the  place  of  his  birth.  So 
grief  and  joy  were  mingled  like  rain  and  sun 
shine. 

In  front  of  the  house  was  a  court-yard  filled 
with  shrubbery.  In  the  midst  of  it  was  a 
woman,  whose  face  was  hidden  by  a  large  sun- 
bonnet,  and  who  was  so  vigorously  pruning  an 
old  lilac  bush  that  she  had  not  noticed  their 
approach.  Suddenly  she  turned,  came  forward, 
and  leaning  over  the  gate,  with  her  pruning- 
knife  in  hand,  surveyed  the  travelers  with  a 
bewildered  air,  muttering  to  herself,  "Why, 
they  've  brought  a  carpet-bag !" 

Mr.  Perrit  fastened  the  horse,  and  then  ad 
vanced  to  the  gate  ;  smiling  through  his  tears, 
he  held  out  his  hand,  saying,  "  Don't  you  know 
me,  Nancy  ?" 

"  There 's  but  one  man  in  the  world  who  has 
a  right  to  call  me  Nancy,  and  that  is  Paul  Per 
rit  ;  but  you  can't  be  he." 

"  Why  not  ?    I  used  to  be  Paul  Perrit,  and 


12  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

you  used  to  be  my  sister  Nancy.  These  are 
your  two  nieces.  Are  you  going  to  close  your 
gate  upon  us  ?" 

«  Why,  they  Ve  brought  a  carpet-bag  1"  again 
muttered  Miss  Nancy,  gazing  at  the  girls  with 
a  look  of  amazement,  while  she  slowly  opened 
the  gate. 

"  We  hare  taken  you  by  surprise,"  said  Mr. 
Perrit,  kindly. 

Miss  Nancy  walked  backward  till  she  came 
to  the  large  stone  step  before  the  door,  and 
there  she  sat  down,  threw  aside  her  pruning- 
knife,  and  resting  her  elbows  on  her  knees,  cov 
ered  her  face  with  both  hands. 

Mr.  Perrit  advanced  towards  her,  but  the 
girls  stood  at  the  gate,  Louisa  giggling  uncivil 
ly,  so  that  she  had  to  cram  her  handkerchief  in 
her  mouth,  while  Esther,  who  had  the  carpet 
bag  in  her  hand,  timidly  whispered,  "  Why  has 
she  taken  such  a  dislike  to  our  carpet-bag  ?" 

"  I  am  sorry,  sister,  that  we  did  not  write  to 
you,  to  tell  you  we  were  corning.  After  so  long 
an  absence,  it  was  cruel  for  me  to  take  you  so 
completely  by  surprise." 

"  It 's  your  own  voice,  Paul,  and  I  am  glad 


HONEY-POT  BROOK.  13 

to  hear  it  once  more,"  said  Miss  Nancy,  rising 
and  opening  the  door.     "  Come  in." 

Mr.  Perrit  beckoned  to  the  girls,  and  they 
advanced,  but  Esther  left  the  offensive  carpet 
bag  outside  the  gate. 


CHAPTER  H 

MISS  NANCY. 

THE  interior  of  the  log-house  was  much  more 
neat  and  comfortable  than  might  have  been  ex 
pected  from  its  rough  exterior.  It  was  two 
stories  high.  The  small  windows  of  all  the 
front  rooms  were  hung  with  white  dimity  cur 
tains,  and  deep  fringe  of  Miss  Nancy's  handi 
work.  Worsted  work,  of  which  the  staring 
cats  and  monstrous  roses  were  not  copied  from 
German  patterns,  covered  the  heavy  mahogany 
chairs;  patchwork  of  silk  and  chintz  proved 
the  industry,  if  not  the  taste,  of  Miss  Nancy 
Perrit. 

Soon  after  the  unexpected  arrival  of  the  trav 
elers,  a  small  tea-table,  supported  by  four  slen 
der  legs,  was  spread  with  a  damask  cloth  of 
Miss  Nancy's  spinning,  which  had  not  been 
unfolded  for  many  years. 


MISS   NANCY.  15 

Esther  and  Louisa  watched  with  great  inter 
est  while  an  old  woman-servant  placed  on  the 
table  cold  ham,  biscuit,  honey,  preserves,  pickles -, 
cream,  and  hot  corn  bread.  The  long  ride  and 
the  country  air  had  given  them  keen  appetites ; 
and  though  Louisa  stared  at  the  strange  min 
gling  of  sweet  and  sour,  the  good  things  rapidly 
disappeared  from  the  table. 

After  taking  several  cups  of  tea,  Mr.  Perrit 
said,  "  Sister  Nancy,  I  am  going  on  a  business 
excursion  to  the  far  West ;  I  shall  take  my  wife 
with  me,  and  I  wish  to  leave  my  girls  with  you." 

"  With  me  !  Paul,  you  must  be  crazy.  You 
know  I  never  liked  children,"  exclaimed  Miss 
Nancy,  shaking  her  curls.  Yes,  curls — gray 
curls  adorned  Miss  Nancy's  head.  She  never 
wore  caps,  and  her  hair,  about  two  fingers'  long, 
curled  all  over  her  head. 

"  They  have  been  at  school  all  their  lives,  I 
may  say,  for  they  cannot  remember  the  time 
when  they  did  not  go  to  school.  Esther  is 
about  thirteen,  and  Louisa  eleven  years  old; 
they  have  never  before  been  in  the  country, 
and  a  long  vacation  will  be  of  service  to  their 
health,  both  of  body  and  mind." 


16  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

"  Poor  things !  I  dare  say  it  would ;  but  I 
am  not  the  person  to  take  care  of  children, 
especially  the  city-born  and  city-bred,"  said 
Miss  Nancy,  somewhat  contemptuously. 

"  They  will  not  need  much  care ;  let  them 
run  and  romp  as  much  as  they  please.  I  want 
them  to  love  the  country  just  as  we  did,  sister, 
when  we  were  young." 

Somewhat  softened,  Miss  Nancy  replied, 
"But  they  can't  romp  all  the  while.  How 
should  I  keep  them  busy  ?" 

"  They  have  brought  plenty  of  work  and 
books  for  rainy  days ;  and  when  they  are  dis 
posed  to  be  industrious,  they  will  assist  you." 

"  What,  clothing,  books,  and  work,  all  in  that 
one  carpet-bag!  It  frightened  me,  because  I 
thought  somebody  had  come  to  take  up  their 
quarters  with  me  for  the  night." 

Louisa  laughed  outright,  and  Esther  said, 
"I  believe  the  unfortunate  bag  has  not  yet 
been  brought  in." 

"  So  you  consent  to  let  the  poor  girls,  who 
know  nothing  of  the  country,  stay  with  you  for 
a  few  months?"  continued  Mr.  Perrit. 

"If  they  won't  pick  my  flowers,  nor  scare 


MISS  NANCY.  17 

my  chickens,  nor  teaze  my  cats,  nor  bring  any 
other  children  to  my  house." 

"  We  certainly  will  not  gather  your  flowers 
without  your  consent,"  said  Esther. 

"Then  you  will  not  gather  them  at  all. 
My  flowers  bud,  bloom,  wither,  and  die,  like 
their  mistress,  in  the  spot  where  they  were 
born." 

"  And  the  chickens,  when  they  are  dear  little 
wee-wee  things,  may  we  not  just  take  them  in 
our  hands  ?"  asked  Louisa,  coaxingly. 

"Not  for  the  world!"  replied  Miss  Nancy 
with  a  look  of  horror,  and  a  fluttering  such  as 
the  hen-mother  would  make  at  a  hawk  ready  to 
pounce  on  her  brood.  She  added,  "That  is 
just  what  I  should  have  expected  from  a  city 
girl." 

"  Oh,  excuse  us.  We  will  learn  good  coun 
try  ways  in  time,  if  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to 
teach  us,"  said  Esther,  soothingly. 

"Well,  well,  I  must  consult  Orpy.  It  is  a 
pity  that  you  should  be  cooped  up  in  the  stifling 
air  of  the  city  all  your  lives,  and  never  know 
how  to  do  one  useful  thing." 

"I  hope  you  will  teach  them  many  useful 


18  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA.^ 

things,  and  that  they  will  be  a  great  comfort  to 
you,"  said  Mr.  Perrit. 

"Since  you  insist  on  it;  but  really  I  am 
afraid  that  one  will  be  as  idle  and  as  saucy  as 
my  parrot ;"  and  Miss  Nancy  pointed  at  Louisa. 

'Hold  your  tongue!  hold  your  tongue!" 
screamed  the  parrot,  as  if  to  give  a  specimen  of 
his  sauciness. 

"  Naughty  Poll !"  said  Miss  Nancy,  shaking 
her  curly  head  at  him. 

The  parrot,  not  in  the  least  abashed,  hopped 
to  her  shoulder,  and  pretending  to  kiss  her, 
said,  "  Pretty  Miss  Nancy !  pretty  Miss  Nancy !" 

No  wonder  the  girls  were  tempted  to  laugh, 
for  Miss  Nancy  was  anything  but  pretty.  She 
was  a  tidy,  active  little  body,  busy  as  the  bees 
that  hummed  all  day  long  about  the  honey 
suckles  of  the  front  porch.  The  gray  curls 
about  her  face  and  neck  contrasted  oddly  with 
her  wrinkled  face.  Her  dress  of  brown  merino 
fitted  closely  to  her  spare  figure,  making  her 
look  as  straight  and  thin  as  one  of  her  own  bean 
poles.  The  green  parrot  was  not  her  only  pet. 
White  rabbits  might  be  seen  hopping  about 
among  the  grass  and  shrubs.  Nine  black  cats 


MISS   NANCY.  19 

were  daily  fed  with  a  bountiful  meal  from  the 
kitchen.  A  flock  of  tame  pigeons  alighted  to 
gather  up  the  crumbs  after  them.  Canary  birds 
were  the  in-door  favorites,  and  the  parrot  scold 
ed  or  flattered  them  all,  in-doors  and  out,  from 
morning  till  night. 

"When  tea  was  over,  the  bright  wood  fire 
blazing  and  crackling  in  the  wide  flre-place, 
looked  very  inviting ;  but  the  girls  were  tired 
and  sleepy,  and  asked  permission  to  go  to  bed. 

While  Miss  Nancy  went  to  make  some  need 
ful  preparations,  Esther  and  Louisa  stealthily 
brought  in  the  carpet-bag,  giggling  together 
about  Miss  Nancy. 

"  You  must  excuse  your  aunt's  peculiarities," 
said  their  father ;  "  she  has  lived  alone  for  the 
last  eighteen  years,  and  in  all  that  time  she 
probably  has  not  had  a  guest  to  sleep  in  her 
house." 

And  yet  the  house  was  as  neat  and  clean  as' 
a  new  pin,  from  garret  to  cellar,  for  twice  a 
year  the  regular  house-cleaning  was  performed, 
and  after  that  the  spare  rooms  were  aired  and 
dusted  every  week.  Miss  JSTancy  loved  neat 
ness  for  its  own  sake. 


20  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

Long  after  Esther  and  Louisa  were  asleep, 
Mr.  Perrit  and  his  sister  remained  by  the  fire 
side,  talking  over  the  days  of  their  childhood 
and  youth,  and  forming  plans  for  the  future. 


CHAPTEE  HI. 

TREASURES   DISCOVERED. 

THE  next  morning,  Esther  and  Louisa  were 
awakened  at  an  early  hour  by  cackling  and 
gobbling,  and  crowing  and  lowing,  and  a  vari 
ety  of  noises  perfectly  amazing  and  incompre 
hensible  to  their  city-bred  ears. 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  exclaimed  Lou 
isa,  jumping  out  of  bed  and  peeping  through 
the  white  dimity  curtains. 

Nothing  was  to  be  seen  there  but  the  quiet 
front  yard,  where  the  crocuses  were  dotting  the 
grass,  and  the  roses  and  lilacs  showing  their 
leaf-buds.  Opposite  the  window  was  a  high 
hill,  which  seemed  to  touch  a  rosy  sky,  while  a 
few  light  clouds  of  a  golden  hue  were  floating 
above. 

"  Oh,  jump  up  quick,  Etta  dear,"  exclaimed 
Louisa ;  "  the  sky  in  the  country  is  pink,  and 


22  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

it  actually  comes  down  to  a  great  hill  in  front 
of  the  house." 

Esther  was  soon  by  the  side  of  her  sister. 
"  That  must  be  the  east,"  said  she,  "  and  we  are 
now  seeing  what  we  never  saw  before  in  all  our 
lives — a  sunrise." 

"  So  it  is,  so  it  is !"  exclaimed  Louisa,  clap 
ping  her  hands,  "  for  it  begins  to  be  so  bright  I 
can  hardly  look  at  it." 

"  How  beautiful !"  whispered  Esther,  whose 
delight  was  mingled  with  religious  reverence. 
"I  do  not  wonder  that  heathens,  who  knew 
nothing  of  the  great  God,  who  is  a  Spirit,  wor 
shiped  the  sun." 

A  smart  tap  at  the  door  startled  them,  fol 
lowed  by  Miss  Nancy's  voice.  "Time  to  be 
up,  children ;  country  folks  are  early  risers." 

"  We  are  up  already,  and  will  soon  be  down 
stairs,"  said  Esther. 

When  they  entered  the  parlor  they  saw  the 
breakfast-table  spread  for  three. 

"  Where  is  papa  ?"  asked  Esther,  as  Miss 
Nancy  seated  herself  at  table,  and  motioned 
them  to  take  their  places. 

"  Gone,  long  ago." 


TREASURES   DISCOVERED,  23 

"Gone!"  exclaimed  both  at  once;  "gone 
where  ?" 

"  Gone  home  to  your  mother  in  the  city. 
He  found  he  must  leave  before  dawn,  in  order 
to  reach  the  first  railroad  train.  He  would  not 
disturb  you  just  to  say  good-bye.  Here  is  a  lit 
tle  note  he  left  for  you." 

Tears  were  now  streaming  over  faces  which  a 
moment  before  were  bright  with  joy. 

"  Come,  don't  cry.  Here  are  your  bowls  of 
bread  and  milk,  and  fresh  butter  just  churned, 
and  green  water  cresses  from  the  brook." 

They  tried  to  eat,  poor  things,  but  could 
scarcely  choke  down  the  wholesome  food. 

"  Don't  take  on  so,  for  pity's  sake ;  I  can't 
stand  it,"  said  Miss  Nancy.  "  What  is  the  use 
of  crying  ?" 

"  Pretty  Miss  Nancy !  Don't  scold,"  said  the 
parrot. 

"Hold  your  tongue,  sauce-box,"  retorted 
Miss  Nancy. 

"  Hold  your  tongue !  hold  your  tongue !" 
clamored  the  parrot,  a  dozen  times  repeated. 

Louisa  laughed  in  spite  of  her  tears;  and 
Esther,  as  soon  as  the  parrot  gave  her  a  chance, 


24  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

asked  that  slie  might  be  excused,  and  went  with 
Louisa  to  their  room  to  read  their  father's  note. 

The  note  was  as  follows : 

"I  am  sorry  to  leave  you,  my  darlings,  with 
out  a  parting  kiss,  but  I  would  not  disturb  your 
sweet  slumbers.  Since  we  must  be  parted  for 
a  while,  let  us  all  bear  it  as  cheerfully  as  possi 
ble.  Be  very  kind  and  gentle  to  each  other  and 
to  your  aunt,  and  try  to  exert  a  good  influence 
over  her.  She  is  now  your  sole  guardian ;  be 
obedient  and  respectful  to  her.  Remember 
your  loving  parents  in  your  daily  prayers. 
God  bless  you,  my  dear  children,  and  keep  you 
under  His  special  care.  May  He  restore  you, 
improved  in  health  and  character,  to  the  arms 
of  your  devoted  father." 

And  now  they  gave  free  vent  to  the  tears 
they  had  tried  to  suppress  before  Miss  Nancy. 

They  were  aroused  by  the  sound  of  wheels, 
and  thinking  their  father  might  have  returned, 
flew  to  the  window.  No  ;  it  was  their  own  lug 
gage,  which  had  been  brought  from  the  depot. 

Box  after  box  was  taken  off  by  two  strong 
men,  and  placed  in  the  court-yard,  while  Miss 
Nancy  stood  at  the  door,  talking  to  herself. 


TREASURES   DISCOVERED.  25 

"One,  two,  three,  four,  five  boxes,  and  two 
trunks  big  enough  for  chicken  coops.  Paul  has 
played  a  nice  trick  on  me  ;  he  means  his  chil 
dren  shall  stay  with  me  for  ever." 

"  What  can  be  in  all  those  boxes  ?"  thought 
the  sisters,  as  they  clattered  down  stairs  and 
stood  beside  Miss  Nancy  at  the  door. 

"  Why,  in  the  name  of  common  sense,  have 
you  brought  all  this  stuff  with  you  ?"  demand 
ed  Miss  Nancy. 

"  We  don't  know,"  was  the  only  answer  they 
could  give. 

The  men  who  brought  the  luggage  began  to 
open  the  mysterious  boxes.  Number  one  con 
tained  a  nice  mahogany  wardrobe  for  the  girls' 
bedroom ;  number  two,  a  secretary  and  book 
case  for  the  same  purpose ;  number  three  was 
filled  with  books ;  number  four  contained  a 
handsome  mantel-clock  for  Miss  Nancy ;  num 
ber  five,  a  China  tea  sett,  and  a  silver  milk  jug 
and  sugar  bowl  which  had  belonged  to  her 
mother.  Miss  Nancy  was  in  ecstacies.  That 
same  silver  had  been  the  wonder  of  her  child 
hood  and  the  admiration  of  her  youth,  and  all 
the  gold  of  California  would  have  been  a  trifie 


26  BEAUTIFUL   BEJJTHA. 

•to  her  compared  with  that  ancient  milk  jug  and 
sugar  bowl. 

"  I  always  said  I  ought  to  have  these  things 
of  my  mother's,  being  the  only  girl  of  the  fam 
ily.  It  has  been  a  bone  of  contention  between 
us  for  years,  and  now  Paul  at  last  has  done 
just  right ;"  and  Miss  Nancy  hugged  the  trea 
sures  to  her  heart. 

It  was  sufficient  occupation  for  the  morning 
for  the  girls  to  arrange  their  wardrobe  and 
book-case.  They  laughed  long  and  loud  over 
the  clothing  which  they  placed  in  their  ward 
robe.  The  coarse  frocks,  stout  shoes  and  stock 
ings,  and  woolen  sacks,  were  well  fitted  for  the 
racing  and  romping  their  father  had  spoken  of. 
The  large  sun-bonnets,  which  would  have  been 
stared  at  contemptuously  by  their  city  school 
mates,  were  tried  on  amid  perfect  shouts  of 
merriment.  Then  came  the  pleasant  task  of 
arranging  their  book-case  and  secretary.  Many 
old  favorites  among  the  books  were  greeted  cor 
dially,  and  many  new  ones  placed  by  their  side 
with  great  exultation.  There  were  valuable 
works  on  botany,  conchology,  and  other  branch 
es  of  natural  history,  with  colored  plates. 


TKEASUKES    DISCOVERED.  27 

"  And  here  is  a  beautiful  book  about  birds," 
said  Esther,  "  and  exactly  such  a  blue-bird  in 
it  as  we  saw  in  the  pear  tree  this  morning. 
Now  we  shall  be  able  to  know  the  names  of  all 
the  flowers  and  birds  in  the  country.  How 
kind  it  was  for  dear  papa  and  mamma  to  think 
of  so  many  things  for  our  pleasure." 

The  "  pigeon-holes  "  and  the  little  drawers  of 
the  secretary  delighted  Louisa.  The  note  paper, 
letter  paper,  foolscap,  envelopes,  &c.,  were  ar 
ranged  and  rearranged  in  them,  and  were  each 
and  all  pronounced  lovely.  The  morning 
passed  so  rapidly,  they  could  hardly  believe 
their  ears  when  summoned  by  Miss  Nancy  to 
dinner.  They  ran  down  stairs. 

"  Dinner !"  exclaimed  Louisa ;  "  why  it  seems 
but  two  or  three  hours  since  breakfast." 

Miss  Nancy  pointed  to  the  new  clock  on  the 
mantel.  It  was  twelve  o'clock. 

"Do  you  dine  at  this  early  hour?"  asked 
Louisa. 

"To  be  sure  I  do ;  it  is  the  hour  intended  by 
nature  for  dinner;  just  in  the  middle  of  the 
day.  I  consider  it  a  sin  to  dine  at  any  other 
hour." 


28  BEAUTIFUL  BEETIIA. 

"  We  must,  then,  have  been  great  sinners  all 
our  lives,"  replied  Louisa,  laughing. 

"  I  know  you  haven't  been  brought  up  right, 
but  I  shall  try  to  teach  you  true,  natural  ways. 
Everything  in  city  life  is  turned  upside  down 
and  hind-side  foremost." 

"  Sauce-box !" '  screamed  the  parrot,  "  hold 
your  tongue." 

In  the  afternoon  the  weather  was  delightful ; 
the  sun  shone  with  summer  warmth.  Having 
dressed  themselves  in  their  new  coarse  gar 
ments,  Esther  and  Louisa  went  out  for  a  ramble. 

Miss  Nancy  advised  them  to  go  to  the  top  of 
the  hill  in  front  of  the  house,  which  would  give 
them  a  view  of  the  country  for  miles  and  miles 
around.  They  scrambled  over  fences  at  the 
risk  of  breaking  their  necks,  and  laughed  at 
their  own  awkwardness.  They  stumbled  over 
stones,  and  caught  their  dresses  in  briar-bushes, 
and  at  last  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  hill  com 
pletely  out  of  breath,  and  seated  themselves  on 
a  flat  rock. 

Distant  mountains  seemed  to  enclose  them 
all  around ;  rivers  and  valleys,  towns,  villages, 
and  scattered  farm-houses  were  spread  over  the 


TREASURES   DISCOVERED.  29 

wide  landscape;  among  forests  of  trees,  and 
hanging  above  all,  like  a  boundless  dome,  was 
the  clear  blue  sky  of  March 

So  new  and  wonderful  was  the  scene  that  the 
sisters  for  some  minutes  remained  in  silent  ad 
miration  ;  then  Louisa  exclaimed,  "  What  an 
immense  world !" 

"  And  how  great  and  good  must  our  heaven 
ly  Father  be,  who  made  it  so  beautiful  for  us  to 
enjoy,"  responded  the  elder  sister 

"  Don't  it  look  like  a  big  map !  I  am  sure  I 
shall  like  geography  better  than  ever  now," 
said  Louisa. 

After  admiring  the  landscape  awhile  longer, 
they  wandered  about  the  hill,  collecting  mosses 
in  their  checked  aprons,  till  the  sun  was  setting, 
and  beautiful  clouds  of  purple  and  gold  floated 
in  the  western  sky. 

Suddenly  a  wind  sprung  up,  and  before  they 
reached  the  foot  of  the  hill,  it  blew  a  gale. 
Much  ado  had  they  to  keep  their  sun-bonnets 
on  their  heads,  and  at  the  same  time  hold  fast 
to  the  treasures  in  their  aprons.  Miss  JSTancy 
was  at  the  door,  when  they  reached  the  gate, 
puffing  and  blowing  like  porpoises. 


SO  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

"  Come  in  quick.  March  is  no  fool,"  said 
Miss  Nancy,  with  a  contortion  of  features  ap 
proaching  to  a  laugh.  Miss  Nancy  had  almost 
forgotten  how  to  laugh. 

"What  does  that  mean?"  asked  Esther,  as 
soon  as  she  could  get  breath. 

"  It  means,"  replied  Miss  Nancy,  shutting  the 
door  with  great  difficulty,  "that  March  is  just 
now  playing  us  one  of  his  lion  tricks.  He  is 
pleasant  and  mild  as  a  lamb  at  times,  and  then 
we  believe  spring  has  come  in  earnest ;  and 
then  again  he  shows  his  wThite  teeth,  and  roars 
and  raves  like  a  ramping  lion.  But  this  is  his 
parting  salutation,  for  to-morrow  is  the  first  of 
April." 

"  You  are  quite  poetical,  Miss  Nancy.  See 
what  a  variety  of  beautiful  mosses  we  have 
found  on  the  hill.  And  here  is  a  most  curious 
plant,  all  white ;  it  looked  as  it  grew  like  a 
Chinese  umbrella.  Oh,  dear,  the  precious  thing 
was  so  delicate  that  it  is  broken."  So  saying, 
Esther  held  out  the  pieces. 

"  Gracious  me  !  It  is  nothing  in  the  world 
but  a  dirty  toadstool.  What  city  ignorance !" 

"  A  toadstool !    Is  that  its  name  ?    It  was  not 


TEEASUB-ES   DISCOVERED.  31 

dirty  when  I  gathered  it,"  replied  Esther ;  "  it 
looked  sweetly." 

"  So  it  did,  and  I  thought  it  was  the  funniest 
flower  that  ever  grew,"  said  Louisa,  coming  to 
her  sister's  aid. 

"Flower!  It  is  poisonous  to  eat,  and  an 
ugly  thing.  And  that  moss  of  which  you  have 
brought  home  such  lots,  is  that  a  treasure,  too  ?" 

"  Certainly  it  is.  TVe  shall  find  it  described 
in  our  books.  ~W&  called  this  trumpet  moss,  be 
cause  it  has  tiny  trumpets  all  over  it ;  and  this 
extinguisher  moss.  Don't  you  see  those  little 
caps  like  extinguishers  ?  The  moss  covered 
the  rocks  like  a  beautiful  soft  carpet.  It  must 
be  of  some  use,  for  God  made  it." 

"  You  are  queer  children,"  Miss  Nancy  said. 
"  You  must  not  carry  this  trash  to  your  room ; 
I  will  show  you  where  to  put  it  in  the  wood- 
house." 

They  did  as  they  were  bidden,  but  looked 
rather  crest-fallen  to  find  their  precious  collec 
tion  so  utterly  despised.  Their  appetites,  how 
ever,  did  not  suffer  in  consequence.  ~No  food 
was  ever  relished  better  than  that  supper.  This 
pleased  Miss  Nancy. 


32  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

"  I  told  your  father  it  would  be  so,"  she  said. 
"  In  a  few  months,  instead  of  two  thin,  sallow, 
mincing  city  girls,  I  shall  see  two  nice,  plump, 
rosy-cheeked  country  girls,  fit  for  a  cattle- 
show." 

"  That  is  too  funny.  What  if  we  should  be 
fit  for  nothing  else  ?"  asked  Louisa. 

"  By  that  time  you  will  begin  to  be  good  for 
something,  for  I  am  going  to  teach  you  to  make 
bread,  pies,  cake,  soap,  pickles,  preserves,  and 
lots  of  other  things." 

"If  we  succeed  as  well  in  making  nice 
things  as  we  do  in  eating  them,  you  will  be 
satisfied  with  us,  I  am  sure,"  said  Esther. 

According  to  the  usage  of  Miss  Nancy,  they 
went  to  bed  at  an  early  hour. 

Though  tired  and  sleepy,  they  did  not  forget 
their  absent  parents  in  their  prayers. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   GEOTTO. 

THE  next  morning  at  the  table,  Miss  Nancy 
said,  "You  haven't  seen  my  poultry-yard." 

"  ]STo ;  but  we  have  heard  the  creatures ; 
they  will  not  let  us  sleep  after  there  is  a  ray  of 
light,"  replied  Louisa. 

"  Certainly  not ;  instinct  teaches  them  when 
it  is  time  to  wake.  They  follow  nature,  and  I 
follow  them.  The  sun  never  gets  ahead  of  me 
in  the  morning." 

In  the  poultry-yard  were  slovenly  bantams 
and  dandy  top-knots — hens  speckled  and  black, 
yellow  and  white ;  but,  alas  for  Miss  Nancy, 
it  was  before  the  time  for  Shanghais  and  Chitta- 
gongs.  Ducks,  with  glassy-green  backs,  white 
breasts,  and  red  bills,  paddled  about  in  a  small 
pond,  which  in  the  city  would  have  been  called 
3 


34:  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

a  mud-puddle.  The  white  geese  were  depart 
ing  for  their  daily  journey  to  the  brook.  The 
scarlet-throated  turkeys  commenced  such  a  hor 
rible  gobbling  that  Louisa  was  fairly  frightened 
out  of  the  poultry-yard. 

"  What  can  you  do  with  all  this  poultry  ?" 
inquired  Louisa. 

"Use  what  we  want,  and  send  the  rest  to 
market.  I  like  to  see  things  grow  and  thrive. 
Has  not  your  father  told  you  that  his  sister 
Nancy  was  a  thrifty  woman?" 

"Never;  he  said  you  were  a  good  scholar 
when  he  went  to  school  with  you." 

"  Did  he  indeed  !  I  have  learned  very  little 
from  books  since.  ]STow  I  never  read  anything 
but  the  Farmer's  Almanac.  When  I  was  young 
I  read  too  many  novels,  and  became  romantic." 

"  Romantic !  I  should  never  have  suspected 
that." 

Miss  Nancy  shook  her  gray  curls  very  grave 
ly  as  she  replied,  "  Household  learning  is  better 
for  girls  than  book  learning.  We  live  in  a  very 
common-place  world." 

"That  depends  very  much  on  our  way  of 
seeing  it,"  said  Esther.  "To  me  it  seems  a 


THE   GROTTO.  35 

glorious,   beautiful  world."     My  dear  mother 
calls  it c  tlie  vestibule  to  heaven.7 " 

By  this  time  the  frightened  Louisa  ventured 
back,  and  peeping  in  at  the  gate,  said,  "  Miss 
Nancy,  will  you  show  us  the  way  to  Honey-pot 
brook?" 

"  Take  the  long  path  through  my  garden ;  at 
the  end  of  it  you  will  find  a  gate  opening  into 
a  large  field.  Go  directly  across  the  field,  and 
you  will  find  yourself  by  the  side  of  the  brook ; 
but  take  care  you  do  not  fall  in,  for  the  bank 
on  this  side  is  rocky  and  steep." 

And  so  to  their  surprise  they  found  it,  while 
the  opposite  bank  was  low  and  fringed  with 
alders,  which  had  just  "hung  out  their  tassels." 
A  gentle  slope,  covered  with  trees,  extended 
for  some  distance  from  the  brook.  They  sat 
down  on  one  of  the  rocks  and  deliberated  how 
they  were  to  descend  through  the  rough  pathway. 

"  I  dislike  the  name  of  this  brook ;  suppose 
we  call  it  the  Susquehannah,"  said  Louisa. 

"The  Susquehannah  is  a  wide,  wide  river,  and 
so  near  us  too,"  objected  Esther. 

"  Well,  then,  the  Juniata,  that  is  a  beautiful 
name — the  blue  Juniata." 


36  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"There  is  the  same  objection  to  that;  they 
are  both  too  near.  Suppose  we  call  it  the  Del 
aware?  There  are  so  many  historical  associa 
tions  connected  with  that  name." 

"Historical  associations,"  repeated  Louisa 
with  a  puzzled  look ;  "  you  do  use  such  big 
words." 

"You  have  read  in  your  History  of  the  Uni 
ted  States  about  "Washington's  crossing  the  Del 
aware,  in  the  revolutionary  war." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  it  was  frozen  over — I  remember 
now  ;  and  Philadelphia  is  on  the  Delaware,  and 
Trenton,  too.  There,  I  know  something  about 
geography,  you  see.  Is  Delaware  an  Indian 
name  ?" 

"  ISTo ;  the  river  and  State  were  named  after 
Lord  Delaware." 

"I  like  it  for  that.  I  admire  of  all  things 
lords  and  ladies.  But  let  us  try  to  climb  down 
these  rocks,  and  come  nearer  to  the  Dela 
ware." 

They  scrambled  down  the  rocks  until  they 
came,  at  some  distance  from  the  place  where 
they  started,  to  the  side  of  the  brook,  where  it 
was  strewn  with  scattered,  broken  rocks.  These 


THE   GROTTO.  37 

rocks  were  thrown   together  in   a  variety  of 
forms. 

"  Oh,  here  is  a  grotto — a  real  grotto,  just  such 
as  I  have  read  about  in  story-books !"  exclaimed 
Esther. 

Four  large  rocks  formed  this  grotto;  three 
of  them  made  the  sides  of  an  irregular  enclo 
sure,  and  a  fourth  lay  over  the  others,  serving 
very  well  for  a  roof.  The  room  or  grotto  thus 
formed  was  ]arge  enough  for  the  girls  to  stand 
in  without  stooping,  and  though  irregular  in 
shape,  contained  several  square  yards  of  floor 
or  pavement,  which  was  covered  with  loose 
stones.  It  was  open  in  front  towards  the  brook, 
and  from  it  a  smooth  green  bank  sloped  down 
to  the  water's  edge. 

"  The.  first  thing  we  do  must  be  to  clear  away 
the  loose  stones,"  said  Esther ;  "  then  we  will 
cover  the  pavement  with  moss,  and  ornament  it 
with  pebbles  and  shells  ;  then  it  will  be  a  real 
fairy  grotto." 

"  Beautiful !  beautiful !"  exclaimed  Louisa, 
clapping  her  hands  with  delight ;  "  and  we 
will  be  fairies,  at  least  play  we  are.  I  will  be 
Lady  Delaware. 


38  BEAUTIFUL    BERTHA. 

"  That  would  not  do  for  a  fairy's  name,"  said 
her  wiser  sister.  "  You  know  fairies  were  sup 
posed  to  live  in  flowers,  and  every  fairy  might 
take  the  name  of  her  favorite  flower.  I  choose 
the  violet  for  my  flower,  and  I  will  be  the  fairy 
Yioletta." 

"I  like  the  rose  best;  besides,  that  is  the 
queen  of  flowers.  I  will  be  queen  of  the 
fairies." 

"  Yes ;  Queen  Rosamia,  if  you  like." 
"  Queen  Eosamia !     Oh,  that  is  charming !" 
"  But  there  is  work  to  be  done,"  said  Esther, 
as  she  tried  to  move  a  large  stone,  too  heavy 
for  her  to  lift. 

Louisa  attempted  to  assist  her,  but  their  unit 
ed  efforts  were  not  sufficient  to  remove  it  from 
the  grotto  ;  so,  after  tugging  away  for  a  while, 
they  gave  it  up. 

"  Well,  we  can  cover  this  with  moss  and  use 
it  for  a  seat,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  stones  we 
can  take  outside  and  lay  up  for  a  wall  or  enclo 
sure  round  the  front  of  our  grotto." 

"Esther,  you  are  the  smartest  girl  I  ever 
knew;  you  ought  to  be  queen  of  the  fairies. 
Let  me  see  ;  what  are  our  names  ?" 


THE   GEOTTO.  '  39 

"  Yioletta  and  Rosamia." 
"Wouldn't  it  be  too  funny  if  some  good 
fairy  should  take  pity  on  us,  and  come  and  fit 
up  our  grotto?"  said  Louisa,  as  she  seated  her 
self  near  the  opening,  quite  tired  with  tugging 
at  the  large  stone. 

"  No,  indeed ;  I  think  the  fun  is  in  doing  it 
ourselves,"  replied  her  sister,  bringing  out  an 
apronful  of  smaller  stones,  and  commencing  the 
enclosure  or  court-yard  of  the  grotto.  "  I  think 
Queen  Rosamia  must  condescend  to  help  poor 
Yioletta." 

They  were  still  working  busily,  carrying  out 
the  stones,  when  they  heard  Miss  ]STancy  at  a 
distance  yelling  with  all  her  might,  "  Esther-r-r ! 
Louisa-a-a !" 

They  shook  the  dust  from  their  aprons,  and 
ran  and  clambered  up  the  rocks  at  the  risk  of 
their  necks,  frightened  at  the  thought  of  having 
stayed  beyond  the  natural  dinner-hour.  How 
ever,  they  got  only  a  slight  scolding. 

After  dinner,  Miss  Nancy  said,  "  I  am  going 
to  take  you  to  my  kitchen,  and  teach  you  to 
make  apple-pies." 

Esther  and  Louisa  would  have  preferred  going 


4:0  BEAUTIFTJL   EEETHA. 

again  to  the  fairy  grotto ;  but  no,  Eosamia  and 
Yioletta  must  condescend  to  make  apple-pies. 

First  they  must  pare  the  apples.  This  they 
did  much  after  the  fashion'of  him  who  "pared 
his  wits  on  both  sides,  and  left  nothing  in  the 
jiiddle  ;"  at  least,  after  their  awkward  attempts, 
very  little  was  left  of  the  apples  but  the  cores. 

Louisa  cut  a  deep  gash  in  her  thumb  while 
paring  the  third  apple  ;  and  while  Miss  ISTancy 
was  binding  it  up,  the  parrot  provokingly  said, 

"  No  matter — no  matter  ;  try  again." 

Old  Orpy,  Miss  Nancy's  only  servant,  was 
deaf  as  a  post,  and  the  parrot  had  caught  a 
great  many  words  from  hearing  them  screamed 
into  the  poor  woman's  ears.  It  quite  surprised 
the  children  that  the  parrot's  sayings  should  so 
often  be  appropriate ;  but  they  did  not  notice 
the  thousand  words  that  were  not  so ;  and  as 
the  creature  talked  a  great  deal,  it  was  not 
strange  that  she  sometimes  hit  right. 

"  You  can't  have  any  more  apples  this  time, 
child,  but  you  can  grate  a  nutmeg,  as  it  is  your 
left  thumb  that  you  have  so  clumsily  cut. 
Fie !  Esther,"  continued  Miss  Nancy,  "  you  are 
wasting  my  apples  shockingly." 


TIIE   GKOTTO.  41 

"Am  I,  indeed!  How  can  I  help  it?" 
meekly  inquired  Esther,  who  was  most  vigor 
ously  slashing  away  at  them  with  a  large 
knife. 

"  You  must  pare  them  thin — thin  as  a  wafer. 
Apples  are  as  scarce  as  gold-dust  at  this  time 
of  year,  and  almost  as  costly,  especially  these 
choice  rusty-coats." 

Estjjer  tried  in  vain  to  make  the  paring  as 
thin  as  a  wafer.  In  attempting  it  she  left  bits 
of  brown  skin  scattered  over  them,  at  which 
Louisa  laughed,  and  said,  "  Sister,  your  apples 
are  pied  already." 

"Have  you  not  grated  that  nutmeg  yet?" 
asked  Miss  Nancy,  who  did  not  understand 
Louisa's  pun. 

"  No ;  but  I  have  grated  the  skin  off  my  fin 
gers,"  said  Louisa,  with  a  rueful  face. 

"  I  declare,  I  could  not  have  believed  it  pos 
sible  that  city  girls  of  your  age  could  have 
been  so  awkward  in  the  kitchen.  What  on 
earth  are  you  good  for  ?" 

"  Miss  Nancy,  do  you  know  how  to  play  the 
piano  ?"  roguishly  asked  Louisa. 

"  No,  indeed." 


4-2  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"  But  why  don't  you  know  how  ?"  demanded 
Louisa. 

"  Because  I  never  learned,  and  never  wished 
to  learn  to  play  the  piano." 

"A  very  good  reason,  Miss  Nancy.  Now 
suppose  we  should  give  the  same  for  not  know 
ing  how  to  make  apple-pies?"  retorted  Louisa, 
giggling  triumphantly. 

"  Sister,  sister  !"  said  Esther,  reprovingly,  "  I 
am  sure  it  is  very  kind  in  Miss  Nancy  to  try  to 
teach  two  such  awkward  things  as  we  are,  and 
I  am  much  obliged  to  her,  for  I  wish  to  learn 
how  to  do  useful  things." 

"  There  is  some  hope  of  you,  Esther,  though 
you  have  cruelly  wasted  my  apples.  Now,  you 
see,  here  is  the  paste  for  four  apple-pies,  but 
you  have  wasted  the  fruit,  so  that  I  shall  have 
but  two." 

"Well,  I  will  go  without,"  said  Esther. 

"  And  so  will  I,"  said  Louisa,  "  and  that  will 
make  it  just  right — one  for  you,  and  one  for 
Orpy. ' 

"  No,  no  !  I  will  make  two  custard  pies,  with 
thick  crust,  to  use  the  paste." 

"  Ah !  now  you  are  very  kind,  Miss  Nancy 


THE  GKOTTO.  43 

for  I  like  custard  a  great  deal  better  than  apple 
pie.  You  said  when  we  came  that  you  did  not 
love  children;  but  I  do  believe  you  mean  to 
love  us,  by  and  by,"  said  Louisa,  looking 
roguishly  in  Miss  Nancy's  grave  face,  and  pat 
ting  her  on  the  shoulder. 

A  pleasant  smile  stole  over  her  rigid  fea 
tures,  but  she  said,  "  Go  away,  saucy  child." 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THE  5'AIRIES. 

Miss  NANCY  required  of  her  visitors  great 
neatness  and  order  in  their  room,  and  to  attend 
to  it  themselves.  So  the  next  morning  the 
queen  of  the  fairies  was  obliged  to  assist  the 
more  humble  Yioletta  in  sweeping  and  dusting. 
The  task  was  done  not  without  some  most  un- 
fairylike  grumbling  from  Rosamia.  Then 
they  started,  carrying  baskets  on  their  arms,  in 
which  moss  and  pebbles  were  to  be  carried  to 
the  grotto.  When  they  got  there,  behold  it 
was  already  fitted  up  in  a  marvelous  manner ! 
The  loose  stones  had  been  all  removed,  and  laid 
on  the  circular  wall  for  the  court-yard.  The 
floor  within  the  grotto  was  covered  with  bright 
green  moss,  as  soft  as  velvet.  This  beautiful 
carpet  was  ornamented  with  a  design  formed 


THE   FAIKIES.  45 

of  white  pebbles.  A  circle  of  large  pebbles, 
glistening  like  pearls,  had  the  names  Yioletta 
and  Rosamia  in  the  centre,  formed  of  small 
pebbles. 

Esther  and  Louisa  stood  at  the  entrance  in 
delighted  astonishment. 

"  How  beautiful !  how  beautiful !"  exclaimed 
Esther ;  "  who  has  done  this  ?" 

"  The  fairies !"  whispered  Louisa,  with  almost 
breathless  awe. 

"Fairies! — human  fairies  like  ourselves," 
said  her  wiser  sister  ;  "  but  I  wonder  how  they 
knew  our  fairy  names." 

"  A  very  mysterious  thing !  How  could  they 
know  them,  for  we  were  all  alone  ?" 

Just  then  Esther  observed  a  small  roll  of 
paper  near  the  entrance,  and  opening  it,  read 
aloud, 

"  The  name  of  the  brook  is  Castalia." 

"  Our  fairy  writes  a  bold  hand,"  said  Esther, 
showing  the  scroll  to  her  sister.  "  "We  will  call 
the  brook  Castalia." 

Louisa  peeped  timidly  into  the  grotto.  In 
stead  of  the  large  stone,  a  neat  green  bench 
had  been  placed  at  one  end  for  a  seat. 


46  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"  How  strange !"  she  exclaimed,  with  her 
eyes  staring  wildly,  while  Esther  stepped  care 
fully  over  the  moss  carpet  and  sat  down. 

Louisa  heard  the  sound  of  voices,  and  quickly 
turned  her  head.  Then  she  beckoned  to  her 
sister,  whispering,  "  I  never  saw  any  creature  so 
beautiful  in  all  my  life.  Can  that  be  our  fairy  ?" 

At  a  short  distance,  seated  on  a  rock,  was  the 
object  of  Louisa's  wild  admiration, — a  young 
girl  whose  beauty  was  indeed  wonderful.  She 
had  taken  off  her  bonnet  for  the  purpose  of 
arranging  the  rich  chestnut  curls  which  the 
wind  had  discomposed.  A  waiting-maid  stood 
beside  her,  holding  a  pink  bonnet  ornamented 
with  white  feathers.  On  perceiving  Louisa  she 
shook  back  the  luxurious  ringlets  from  a  face 
which  might  well  have  been  mistaken  for  that 
of  a  fairy  :  the  delicate  rosy  hue  of  the  cheeks 
melted  into  the  purest  white,  and  the  dark  blue 
eyes  seemed  mischievously  hiding  themselves 
beneath  soft  dark  lashes,  while  the  parted  lips 
were  as  red  as  the  berries  of  a  honeysuckle. 

"  Is  it  our  fairy  ?"  whispered  Louisa,  with  a 
half-way  belief  that  it  was  nothing  human. 
"Speak  to  it  Esther." 


THE   FAIRIES.  4? 

The  beauty,  after  gazing  a  moment  at  the 
strangers,  snatched  the  bonnet  from  her  maid, 
placed  it  on  her  head,  and  pointing  at  Esther 
and  Louisa  with  a  contemptuous  expression, 
said  something  in  a  language  which  they  did 
not  understand,  and  then  walked  rapidly  away. 

"  Who  can  she  be  ?"  exclaimed  Esther.  "  She 
is  very  beautiful;  but  her  expression  was  not 
pleasing." 

"  I  believe  it  is  the  fairy  who  has  ornamented 
our  grotto,  and  that  she  was  not  pleased  because 
we  did  not  thank  her  for  it,"  said  Louisa. 

" Nonsense!  there  are  no  such  beings  as 
fairies,  and  never  have  been ;  it  is  only  a  poeti 
cal  fancy,"  replied  Esther. 

Louisa  shook  her  head,  and  seating  herself  on 
a  large  stone  by  the  grotto,  said,  "  I  don't  know 
what  to  believe  about  it,  but  I  feel  a  kind  of 
creeping  and  shuddering  that  is  very  queer." 

Esther  again  went  within  the  grotto,  and 
soon  returned,  and  saying,  "See!  this  is  no 
fairy  weapon,"  showed  a  pearl-handled  pen 
knife,  which  was  marked  on  a  small  silver 
plate,  W.  M." 

"Where  did  you  find  it?" 


48  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

"Among  the  soft  moss  in  the  grotto.  W. 
M !  Whose  can  it  be  ?  Let  us  ask  Miss  Nan 
cy  if  she  knows  any  one  with  these  initials." 

"  Oh,  no  !  for  then  we  shall  be  obliged  to  tell 
her  all  about  our  grotto,  you  know,  Esther,  ana 
she  might  forbid  our  coming  here." 

"  I  intend,  of  course,  to  tell  her  all  about  it, 
and  shall  try  to  restore  the  knife  to  the  owner." 

When  they  reached  Ivy  Cottage,  as  they 
called  the  log-house,  they  found  Miss  Nancy  in 
the  garden. 

"  Do  you  know  any  person  whose  name  be 
gins  with  W.  M.  ?"  asked  Louisa,  almost  out  of 
breath  with  eagerness. 

"That  is  a  very  strange  question,"  replied 
Miss  Nancy,  reddening  with  anger  and  embar 
rassment.  "  Never  ask  me  questions  about 
people." 

Thus  checked,  Esther,  who  was  about  to  show 
the  penknife,  slipped  it  into  her  pocket,  and 
walked  off  with  Louisa  to  the  house. 

At  night,  after  they  had  retired  to  their  room, 
they  consulted  what  they  should  do  with  the 
knife,  and  decided  to  place  it  the  next  day  just 
where  they  found  it. 


THE   FAIKIES.  49 

"  One  thing  has  struck  me'  as  very  remarka 
ble  here,"  said  Esther,  as  she  took  up  her  small 
Bible  to  read  before  going  to  rest. 

"  There  are  a  great  many  remarkable  things 
here,"  replied  her  sister ;  "  which  one  do  you 
mean  ?" 

"It  is  a  very  serious  matter.  Miss  Nancy 
never  has  family  prayers." 

"  Family  prayers  !  Who  would  she  have  to 
join  her  but  cats,  canaries,  and  deaf  Orpy,  with 
the  parrot  to  say  Amen  ?" 

"  Don't  treat  the  matter  so  lightly,  Louisa  ; 
you  know  how  sweet  it  was  to  unite  with  dear 
papa  and  mamma  in  family  worship." 

"  I  know  I  often  went  to  sleep  at  night  during 
prayers." 

"  And  I  hope  you  are  sorry  for  it  now.  It 
does  seem  so  heathenish  and  unthankful  not  to 
acknowledge  our  heavenly  Father's  goodness 
from  day  to  day,  and  to  ask  together  forgive 
ness  for  those  faults  and  sins  of  which  we  have 
been  guilty,  especially  towards  each  other.  It 
is  mournful  to  think  that  any  person  of  Miss 
Nancy's  age  should  live  without  reading  the 
blessed  Bible  and  praying  to  God." 


50  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTIIA. 

"Perhaps  she  reads  and  prays  in  secret," 
suggested  Louisa. 

"  Let  us  hope  she  does.  She  takes  good  care 
to  provide  for  our  bodily  comfort ;  but  our  dear 
mamma  never  forgot  that  we  had  souls  as  well 
as  bodies,  and  that  we  are  accountable  to  God 
for  all  that  we  are  and  all  that  we  have.  I 
intend  to  ask  Miss  Nancy  if  she  would  like  to 
have  us  come  to  family  prayers." 

"Now,  Esther,  you  talk  like  a  Methodist 
preacher.  I  wouldn't  ask  Miss  Nancy  that 
question  for  a  silver  dollar." 

"  Do  you  not  remember  what  papa  said  in 
his  farewell  note  about  influence  f  We  are  ex 
pected  to  exert  a  good  influence  on  Miss  Nancy, 
and  we  must  consider  how  it  is  to  be  done." 

"  Well,  do  as  you  like ;  I  should  as  soon 
think  of  asking  her  to  give  mw  that  hideous 
parrot,  with  its  everlasting  <  Pretty  Poll,'  <  Never 
mind,'  'Try  again.'  I  declare  I  am  so  angry 
with  it,  I  could  twist  off  its  neck." 

"  Dear  Louisa,  that  is  a  cruel,  wicked  thought. 
I  am  afraid  you  are  angry  with  Miss  ^ancy  be 
cause  she  would  not  answer  your  question.  She 
may  have  good  reasons  for  it.  Don't  go  to 


THE   FAIRIES.  51 

sleep  so  out  of  temper.  Let  us  forgive  as  we 
hope  to  be  forgiven,  before  we  kneel  down  to 
say  the  Lord's  Prayer.  It  would  be  a  fearful 
thing  to  repeat  those  sacred  words  with  anger 
burning  in  our  hearts." 

Louisa  pouted  for  a  moment ;  then  she  threw 
her  arms  around  her  sister's  neck,  and  said,  "  I 
am  a  naughty  child ;  I  wish  I  was  better." 

Esther  kissed  her  affectionately,  and  said  in  a 
sweet,  low  voice,  "  Ask,  and  ye  shall  receive. 
Jesus  Christ  was  tempted  even  as  we  are,  and 
yet  without  sin,  that  we  may  never  despair  of 
forgiveness  when  we  ask  it  in  His  name.  Good 
night!" 


CHAPTEE  VI. 

THE  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BROOK. 

"  SUCH  a  rainy  day !  nothing  but  ^/)ur,  pour, 
pour,"  exclaimed  Louisa  the  next  morning  after 
breakfast,  as  she  stood  with  her  forehead  pressed 
against  the  window-pane,  while  the  rain  fell  in 
torrents. 

"A  nice  April  shower!"  said e Miss  Nancy, 
who  was  washing  up  the  breakfast  things. 

"  But  it  is  very  provoking  when  we  want  so 
much  to  take  a  walk,"  replied  Louisa,  pettishly. 

"  We  must  not  forget  who  it  is  that  sends  the 
rain  to  water  the  earth  and  make  the  flowers 
we  love  to  bud  and  blossom." 

Miss  Nancy  stared  at  Esther  as  she  made  this 
remark,  and  Louisa  made  no  reply. 

The  grass  in  the  court-yard  looked  fresh  and 
green,  the  hyacinths  and  daffodils  were  already 


THE  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEOOK.        53 

in  blossom,  and  the  lilac  buds  had  expanded 
wonderfully  since  the  day  before ;  a  horse-chest 
nut  tree  near  the  window  was  putting  out  its 
first  tender  green  leaves  from  the  varnished 
buds,  where  they  had  been  sealed  up  all  win 
ter  ;  and  a^  blue-bird  was  singing  in  spite  of  the 
rain. 

Soon  the  drops  of  water  were  not  all  on  the 
outside  of  the  window.  Tears  streamed  from 
the  eyes  of  the  affectionate  but  impulsive  Lou 
isa  as  she  thought,  "  God  is  good  and  kind  to 
make  all  these  beautiful  things.  I  wish  I  was 
like  Esther,  who  never  forgets  what  is  right.  I 
am  sorry  one  minute,  and  the  very  next,  almost, 
I  do  the  same  thing  again." 

"  Come,  Louisa,"  said  Esther,  affectionately 
taking  her  arm  and  leading  her  up  stairs,  "I 
have  something  to  read  to  you."  Then  going 
to  the  secretary,  Esther  took  out  a  book  which 
looked  like  an  album,  but  it  was  not,  and  said, 
"  Shall  I  read  my  journal  to  you  ?" 

"  Yes,  indeed.     I  haven't  begun  mine  yet." 

"  Perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  if  I  had 
not,  for  I  am  afraid  it  is  very  silly.  This  is  the 
motto, 


54  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

"  Let  love  and  truth  indite 
Whatever  here  I  write." 

"  Poetry,  to  be  sure  !"  exclaimed  Louisa. 
"  Who  ever  dreamed  of  your  writing  poetry  ?" 

"It  is  a  sort  of  rhyming  jingle ;  don't  call  it 
poetry,"  replied  Esther,  coloring  rosy  red. 

"  The  reign  of  old  Winter  was  past, 
And  Spring  was  rejoicing  at  last 
That  delicate  flowers  were  peeping 
From  cold  beds  where  they  had  been  sleeping, 
And  birds  were  so  merrily  singing, 
Where  lately  the  tempests  were  ringing. 
Alas,  in  our  home  there  was  sorrow, 
For  dear  ones  must  part  on  the  morrow ; 
Our  parents  are  summoned  away, 
And  must  not  their  parting  delay. 
Oh,  God  of  the  land  and  the  sea, 
I  gladly  entrust  them  to  thee ! 
On,  on  with  the  speed  of  the  .wind, 
We  left  the  proud  city  behind, 
And  glided  by  river  and  vale, 
By  town  and  by  mountain  and  dale, 
The  car-whistle  shrieking  a  wail, 
That  went  through  my  heart's  very  core — • 
Ah,  what  if  we  see  them  no  more ! 

"  At  length  we  left  the  cars,  and  glad  was  I 
Another  mode  of  traveling  to  try ; 
A  cosy  ride  we  had,  papa  and  Lou, 
With  me  between,  (the  seat  was  made  for  two.) 
Through  leafless  woods  we  jogged  a  mile  or  so, 
And  then  we  came  to  that  sweet  brook  you  know, 


THE  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BROOK.       55 

Whose  name,  from  Honey-pot  to  Delaware, 
Was  changed  one  day,  by  damsel  bright  and  fair ; 
The  brook,  with  yellow  willows  by  its  side, 
Spread  out  its  shining  ripples  deep  and  wide, 
And  Lou,  who  thought  a  brook  was  but  a  ditch, 
Alarmed,  cried  out,  "  We  all  shall  in  it  pitch !"  \ 

"Now  you  know  I    didn't  use  that  ugly 
word,"  interrupted  Louisa. 
Esther  went  on — 

"  But  yet  we  safely  passed  the  mighty  stream, 
Which  our  pupa  a  bosom  friend  would  deem — 
A  friend  whose  every  crook  and  turn  he  knew, 
Unchanged,  while  he  from  youth  to  manhood  grew. 
The  quiet  woods  of  feath'ry  brown  we  past, 
And  reached  the  ancient  house  of  logs  so  vast ; 
We  wondered  where  such  giant  forests  grew — 
Tall  shrubs  (behold  Miss  Nancy  peeping  through !) 
The  budding  lilac,  tall  seringle,  too, 
And  roses  soon  to  please  with  varied  hue. 
Miss  Nancy  stares  like  one  who  walks  in  sleep, 
Then  dear  papa  makes  one  tremendous  leap  ; 
Then  places  Lou  and  me  upon  the  ground, 
And  hastens  to  his  sister  with  a  bound 
Of  heart — that  noble  heart,  so  warm  and  good. 
Amazed,  Miss  Nancy  stark  and  silent  stood." 

"  There  now,  that  is  enough  for  one  day,  and 
too  much  for  your  patience,  Lou.  Is  it  not 
ridiculous  ?" 

"  No,  indeed,"  replied  Louisa,  warmly.  u  It 
is  sweet.  I  wonder  how  you  can  write  poetiy. 


56  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

I  could  not  make  a  single  rhyme  even  if  some 
one  would  tell  me  who  fixed  up  our  grotto,  to 
pay  for  it." 

"  Don't  call  this  stuff  poetry.  Only  think 
how  beautifully  Lucre tia  Maria  Davidson  wrote 
before  she  was  as  old  as  I  am." 

"  Oh,  good,  good !"  exclaimed  Louisa,  clap 
ping  her  hands,  "there  comes  the  blessed  sun  ; 
we  shall  have  a  sweet  afternoon.  What  a  fool 
I  was  to  cry  about  an  April  shower !" 

After  dinner  the  sisters  started  for  the  grotto. 
On  approaching  it,  they  saw  the  beautiful  being 
who  had  excited  such  warm  admiration  tho 
day  previous,  standing  within  the  enclosure  of 
stones,  looking  eagerly  at  the  inside  of  the 
grotto.  Her  maid  was  seated  on  a  rail  fence 
near  by,  knitting. 

"  Is  this  yours?"  said  Esther,  stepping  quickly 
to  the  side  of  the  young  beauty  and  handing 
her  the  knife. 

She  snatched  it  without  replying,  and  ran  off, 
laughing  so  loud  that  the  rocks  around  seemed 
to  ring  with  the  shrill  sound.  Soon  she  stopped, 
and  seating  herself  on  a  large  stone,  began  to 
sing. 


THE  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEOOK.        57 

"1  do  believe,  after  all,  it  is  a  fairy.  I  never 
heard  any  human  voice  sound  like  that,"  said 
Louisa,  whose  imagination  was  much  excited. 

Soon  the  stranger  started  up,  and  walked  off, 
followed  by  her  German  maid. 

"Let  us  see  where  she  goes,"  said  Louisa. 

They  wandered  along  by  the  side  of  the 
brook  until  they  came  to  a  beautiful  little 
waterfall.  The  lively  stream  dashed  over  high 
rocks,  and  then  rushed  on,  foaming  and  whirl 
ing  among  the  stones.  Across  the  brook,  just 
above  this  pretty  cascade,  was  a  light  foot 
bridge.  Esther  was  fond  of  drawing.  She 
stood  looking  up,  and  wishing  for  pencil  and 
paper  to  take  a  sketch  of  the  charming  scene, 
when  splash  came  a  stone  into  the  brook,  then 
another,  spattering  the  water  over  the  aston 
ished  sisters.  They  heard  that  peculiar  ringing 
laugh,  and  looking  up,  saw  the  beauty  peeping 
over  the  railing  of  the  bridge. 

"  Could  she  have  done  it  on  purpose  ?"  ex 
claimed  Esther. 

"The  spiteful  thing,  of  course  she  did!"  re 
torted  Louisa. 

And  they  hastened  homeward,  full  speed. 


58  BEATTHFDI,   BERTHA. 

Miss  J^Tancy  was  waiting  tea  for  them.  She 
looked  uncommonly  sad,  and  did  not  notice 
their  spattered  dresses.  After  they  had  been 
seated  awhile  at  table,  she  said  to  herself,  "  I 
think  she  must  have  been  poisoned." 

They  did  not  venture  to  ask  a  question. 

"  Yes,  yes,  it  must  have  been  poison." 

"  Poison  !"  exclaimed  Louisa. 

"  Yes  ;  my  poor  parrot  is  dead — dead !  I 
found  her  lying  on  her  back  in  her  cage,  her 
claws  held  up,  and  her  mouth  wide  open — dead !" 

"Death  takes  away  the  most  precious  things. 
I  am  very  sorry  for  your  loss,"  said  Esther, 
kindly. 

Louisa  held  her  napkin  to  her  mouth,  and 
pretended  to  cough,  to  hide  a  laugh. 

"Was  it  possible  that  Louisa  had  anything  to 
do  with  the  death  of  the  parrot  ? 

As  soon  as  they  were  together  in  their  room, 
Esther  said,  "  How  could  you  laugh,  Louisa, 
when  poor  Miss  $"ancy  was  so  grieved  at  the 
doath  of  poor  Polly  ?" 

"  She  looked  so  funny,  and  so  did  you ;  in 
deed,  I  couldn't  help  laughing ;  besides,  I  was 
glad  the  ugly  thing  was  dead." 


THE  BEAUTY  ANT>  THE  BKOOK.        59 


"  Do  you  know  how  she  came  to  die  ?" 

"  For  want  of  breath,  I  suppose." 

"Had  you  given  her  anything  that  could 
poison  her  ?" 

"Nothing,  unless  it  was  the  piece  of  my 
shoulder  she  snapped  off  the  other  day." 

"  My  dear  sister,  you  hated  the  poor  parrot, 
and  wished  her  dead.  You  may  pass  too  easily 
to  hating  human  beings,  and  wishing  them 
dead,  too.  The  next  step  would  be  —  murder." 

"  Murder  !  Oh,  you  are  severe  on  me.  I  do 
not  know  any  more  than  you  do  what  killed 
the  creature." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  be  severe,  my  own  darling 
sister,  but  we  are  just  about  to  ask  the  protec 
tion  of  our  heavenly  Father  and  the  forgive 
ness  of  our  sins,  and  we  ought  to  have  a  Kindly, 
loving  spirit.  We  should  remember  that  God 
is  love,  and  that  not  a  sparrow  falls  to  the 
ground  without  his  knowledge.  It  seems  to  me 
dreadful  to  hate  anything  He  has  created." 

"I  am  always  wrong,  and  you  are  always 
right,"  said  Louisa,  throwing  her  arms  about 
her  sister's  neck,  and  sobbing  aloud. 

"No,  no,  darling,  I  am  often   wrong,  too. 


60  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

May  God  forgive  us  both,"  said  her  sister,  kiss 
ing  her  again  and  again.  . 

Poor  Louisa !  her  sorrow  for  the  time  was 
keen.  Her  feelings  were  all  quick,  but  not 
lasting.  Her  penitence,  though  bright  as  the 
rainbow  after  a  storm,  was  as  transient,  too. 
There  was  a  strong  probability  that  the  same 
fault  she  had  bitterly  repented  of,  one  day 
would  be  committed  again,  whenever  a  similar 
temptation  occurred. 


CHAPTER  VIL 

THE   WKONG   PEW. 

SUNDAY  morning  dawned  bright  and  clear* 
Oh,  how  beautiful !  The  birds  sang  their 
sweetest  and  tenderest  notes.  What  business 
had  the  cocks  to  crow  so  merrily  ?  The  cattle 
lowed ;  the  geese,  ducks,  and  turkeys  joined  in 
the  concert. 

"  Why,  they  don't  keep  Sundays  here,"  were 
Louisa's  first  thoughts  on  awaking. 

There  was  more  truth  in  it  than  she  suspect 
ed.  Miss  Nancy  was  already  with  her  congre 
gation  in  the  poultry-yard. 

"  Where  do  you  go  to  church,  Miss  Nancy," 
asked  Esther  at  the  breakfast  table. 

"  Nowhere,"  was  the  brief  reply. 

There  was  silence  for  a  minute,  then  Esther 
said,  "  But  you  will  allow  us  to  go." 


62  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"  Yes,  if  you  can  walk  two  miles  to  the  vil 
lage  with  old  Orpy,  who  goes  to  church,  though 
she  can't  hear  a  word.  It  is  as  good  a  place 
for  her  to  rest  in  as  any  other." 

Esther  might  have  said  it  was  a  better  place 
than  any  other,  because  she  there  would  have 
sympathy  in  her  devotions;  and  from  habit 
and  long  association  the  place  had  become 
sacred  to  her. 

*    "  Don't  put  on  any  of  your  city  finery,"  said 
Miss  Nancy. 

"We  didn't  bring  anything  fit  to  wear  to 
church,"  said  Louisa. 

"Yes,  we  did,  quite  good  enough,"  replied 
Esther. 

In  simple  but  neat  attire  the  sisters  walked 
arm-in-arm  to  church,  that  delightful  spring 
morning,  preceded  by  Orpy. 

A  queer  looking  person  was  old  Orpy.  Bent 
almost  double  by  age  and  hard  labor,  she  hob 
bled  away,  leaning  on  a  stout  stick.  Her  gown 
of  plaid  linsey-woolsey  had  been  her  only  go-to- 
meeting  dress  for  a  dozen  years  or  more,  and 
her  little  black  satin  bonnet  had  been  its  con 
stant  companion.  A  spotted  calico  shawl  com- 


THE   WRONG   PEW.  63 

pleted  her  attire.  Though  her  nose  was  hooked 
and  approached  her  chin,  and  her  face  was 
wrinkled  and  puckered,  its  expression  was  not 
disagreeable. 

They  had  enjoyed  the  walk  for  a  mile,  when 
Orpy  stopped,  and  pointing  with  her  stick  to 
the  spire  of  the  church,  said,  "  It  is  a  great 
privilege  to  take  two  sweet  little  ladies  to  the 
house  of  God. 

"  '  I  have  been  there,  and  still  would  go ; 
'Tis  like  a  little  heaven  below.' " 

"  Dear  old  woman  !"  said  Esther,  "  why  have 
we  never  taken  any  notice  of  her  before  ?  I  do 
believe  she  is  good.  What  an  awful  thing  it 
would  be  if  this  poor  old  person  were  not  re 
ligious." 

Again  Orpy  spoke:  "This  is  as  pretty  a 
morning  as  I  ever  saw  of  an  April.  I've  hearn 
tell  of  dimons.  Sure  the  dew  glistens  on  the 
grass  brighter  than  any  dimon-stone.  I  hope 
your  young  hearts  are  thankful  to  God  for 
making  such  a  nice  pretty  world  for  you  to  live 
in ;  but,  my  little  dears,  heaven  is  a  brighter 
world  than  this.  You  know  about  its  golden 
streets  and  gates  of  pearl." 


64  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

Esther's  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  her  heart 
bounded  with  fervent  joy  and  gratitude.  Lou 
isa  was  awed  and  silent. 

As  they  approached  the  church,  the  people 
from  all  directions,  on  foot,  on  horseback,  and 
in  wagons,  were  gathering  to  the  place  of  wor 
ship.  Just  as  the  sisters  reached  tKe  door,  it 
occurred  to  them  where  they  were  to  sit,  and 
they  stood  a  moment  hesitating  ;  but  Orpy  led 
the  way  to  the  gallery  stairs,  which  were  inside 
the  church,  and  taking  her  seat  on  one  of  the 
lower  steps,  motioned  them  to  sit  higher  and 
near  to  the  balustrade,  that  room  might  be  left 
for  others  to  pass  up  stairs. 

The  services  commenced,  and  Esther  joined 
with  true  and  earnest  devotion.  Louisa  was 
peeping  through  the  balusters  at  the  beauty, 
who  sat  in  a  pew  near  the  pulpit  with  a  gaily 
dressed  lady  and  a  young  lad.  Poor  Louisa's 
pride  had  to  suffer.  After  a  while  the  stran 
gers  discovered  her  in  her  exalted  position,  and 
their  eyes  were  often  directed  towards  her  and 
her  sister.  The  beauty  whispered  to  her  mo 
ther,  and  then  hid  her  face,  laughing  behind 
her  book. 


THE   WKONG   TEW.  65 

When  the  service  was  over>  Orpy  did  not 
rise  to  go.  The  sisters,  not  knowing  what  to 
do,  stood  still  while  the  people  passed  down  the 
gallery  stairs  ;  then  Orpy  beckoned  them  to  be 
seated,  and  taking  a  small  basket  from  under 
her  calico  shawl,  she  spread  a  clean  napkin  on 
Esther's  lap,  and  placed  on  it  shaved  tongue, 
biscuit,  and  cakes,  saying,  "I  always  bring 
dinner,  so  that  I  can  stay  all  day." 

"  How  provoking  !"  exclaimed  Louisa,  "  I 
have  been  mortified  enough  already." 

Just  then  the  clergyman  came  in  at  the  side 
door,  and  walking  to  the  gallery  stairs,  first 
shook  hands  kindly  with  Orpy,  and  then  said, 
"  I  perceive,  young  ladies,  you  are  going  to  re 
main  for  the  afternoon  service.  You  will  find 
a  more  comfortable  seat  in  the  pew  yonder." 
He  pointed  to  the  yellow-cushioned  pew  where 
the  beauty  had  been  seated,  and  continued, 
"  The  family  rarely  come  in  the  afternoon.  I 
beg  you  will  not  hesitate  to  sit  there." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Esther. 

He  left  them  with  a  polite  bow. 

"  Exactly  like  good  Mr.  Nelton,"  said  Orpy. 

"  He  always  takes  kind  notice  of  poor  me.    You 
5 


6  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

had  better  sit  there.  I  knew  what  he  meant 
by  his  motions.  I  often  know  more  than  folks 
think  I  do.  ISTow,  when  you  have  done  your 
dinner,  go  and  stroll  about  and  take  the  air." 

Near  the  church  was  the  graveyard — not  a 
nicely-kept  and  ornamented  "God's  acre,"  as 
the  Germans  call  it,  but  a  "  neglected  spot," 

"  Where  the  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep." 

"  Yet  e'en  these  bones  from  insult  to  protect, 

Some  frail  memorial,  erected  nigh, 
With  uncouth  rhymes  and  shapeless  sculpture  deck'd, 
Implores  the  passing  tribute  of  a  sigh  ; 

"  Their  name,  their  years,  spelt  by  the  unleiter'd  muse, 

The  place  of  fame  and  elegy  supply, 

And  many  a  holy  text  around  she  strews, 

To  teach  the  rustic  moralist  to  die." 

The  young  girls  wandered  about  with  solemn 
awe.  Fragile  anemones  waved  their  graceful 
heads  as  the  gentle  breeze  swept  over  the  green 
graves.  Violets,  white  and  blue,  and  the  sweet- 
briar,  just  putting  forth  its  tender  leaves,  per 
fumed  the  air.  Though  man  had  neglected  to 
adorn  the  sacred  spot,  God  had  not  forgotten  it. 

"May  we  gather  these  flowers?"  said  Louip' 
to  the  sexton. 

"  As  many  as  you  please,  Miss." 


THE   WKONG    PEW.  67 

When  the  girls  seated  themselves  in  the  yel 
low-cushioned  pew  to  which  the  clergyman  had 
directed  them,  Louisa  held  in  her  hand  a  large 
bouquet  of  wild  flowers.  As  the  service  was 
about  to  commence,  who  BJould  enter  the 
church  but  tho  beauty  and  her  brother.  She 
opened  the  pew  door,  and  motioning  to  the 
surprised  sisters  to  come  out,  whispered,  "This 
is  our  pew." 

The  tall  boy,  who  was  behind  her,  gave  her 
a  smart  push,  which  sent  her  into  the  pew  in 
haste.  Esther  and  Louisa  rose  to  let  her  pass 
to  the  end  of  the  seat,  but  the  boy  shook  his 
head  and  bowed  for  them  to  be  seated. 

The  beauty  was  anything  but  lovely  now. 
She  pouted  her  pretty  lips,  and  turned  up  her 
pretty  nose,  and  tossed  back  contemptuously 
her  pretty  head.  She  whispered  to  her  bro 
ther,  "  They've  brought  a  bushel  of  weeds  into 
our  nice  pew." 

Louisa  looked  at  her  valued  bouquet,  and 
wondered  if  her  saucy  neighbor  called  those 
sweet  flowers  "  weeds."  She  was  ready  to  cry 
with  vexation. 

The  disdainful  beauty  drew  away  her  silk 


68  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

dress  as  far  as  possible  from  Louisa's  mousseline 
de  laine,  and  cast  sneering  glances  at  the 
coarse  shoes  which  had  been  soiled  that  morn 
ing  by  a  walk  of  two  miles.  Esther,  who  sat 
at  the  end  of  the  seat,  did  not  observe  all  this, 
but  joined  with  her  usual  interest  in  the  ser 
vices. 

When  they  were  over,  the  beauty  said  aloud 
to  her  brother,  "  I  wonder  what  business  these 
country  gawks  have  in  our  pew,  scattering 
nasty  weeds  and  mud  all  over  it." 

Poor  Louisa  had  dropped  a  few  of  her  short- 
stemmed  violets  on  the  carpet.  "  Mr.  K~elton 
told  us  to  sit  here,  Miss,"  said  she,  pettishly. 
I  am  sorry  if  we  have  soiled  the  old  carpet  or 
hurt  the  yellow  cushions." 

The  beauty,  quite  astonished,  walked  out, 
while  her  brother  held  the  pew  door  open  for 
them  all  to  pass. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Esther,  as  she  passed 
out. 

"  You  are  welcome  to  sit  here  whenever  you 
come  to  church,"  said  he,  with  a  very  polite  bow. 

They  now  joined  Orpy,  who  was  waiting  for 
them  at  the  church  door. 


THE   WKONG   PEW.  69 

When  they  had  walked  a  short  distance, 
"  "W.  M. !  the  very  owner  ">'  the  pearl-handled 
penknife !"  exclaimed  Louisa. 

She  was  interrupted  by  Orpy :  "  Pretty 
creature  !  very  pretty  creature  !  but  hasn't  she 
anything  in  the  world  to  do  but  just  to  be  pretty, 
like  a  posey  or  a  bird  ?  I  am  speaking  of  the 
-proud  little  Miss  who  was  in  the  pew  with  you. 
Her  silly  mother  is  spoiling  her  for  this  world 
and  for  another.  Why,  she  spends  her  whole 
time  in  taking  pains  with  that  girl  to  make  and 
to  keep  her  handsome.  She  bottles  up  May- 
dew  and  snow-water  to  wash  her  with.  She 
wastes  the  milk  of  two  cows  every  day  for  her 
to  bathe  in.  She  thinks  roses  grow  and  blos 
som  on  purpose  to  scent  the  linen  of  her  dar 
ling.  Does  the  proud  woman  ever  think  who 
made  her  child,  and  that  He  will  one  day  ask 
what  she  has  done  for  her  soul  ?  I  am  afraid 
not." 

The  sisters  listened  with  astonishment.  Lou 
isa  asked  her  the  name  of  the  beauty  in  so  loud 
a  voice  as  to  frighten  her  sister ;  and  Orpy, 
though  she  did  not  hear,  seemed  to  understand 
what  she  wanted  to  know,  for  she  continued, 


70  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"You  had  better  say  nothing  to  Miss  Nancy 
about  Bertha  Maxwell;  it  is  a  sore  subject. 
You  must  know,  Mrs.  Maxwell,  when  she  was 
young,  was  called  a  beauty.  She  was  poor  and 
proud.  Our  Miss  Nancy  was  going  to  be  mar 
ried  to  Mr.  Maxwell,  but  that  woman  stepped 
in,  and  by  her  arts  drew  him  off.  Miss  Nancy 
has  never  been  like  the  same  person  since. 
"Woeful  day  was  it  to  poor  Maxwell  when  he 
married  that  woman !  Miserable  life  he  led ! 
She  married,  and  teazed  him  to  death  with  her 
extravagance  and  uppishness.  Poor  man!  he 
has  been  in  his  grave  several  years." 

"  There,  I  told  you  W.  M.  must  be  the  beau 
ty's  brother.  He  was  very  polite  to  us ;  but, 
O,  that  Bertha  Maxwell !  I  am  so  angry  with 
her,  I  could  bite  her,"  exclaimed  Louisa,  setting 
her  teeth  firmly  together. 

"  The  day  is  too  holy  and  beautiful  for  anger," 
replied  her  sister,  mildly.  "See  those  purple, 
gold-tipped  clouds  piled  up  in  the  west,  looking 
like  illuminated  palaces  and  frowning  castles, 
while  those  tiny  floating  clouds  are  fire-birds 
hovering  over  the  magnificent  scene.  I  won 
der  if  poor  old  Orpy  is  not  reminded  of  the 


THE   WKONG   PEW.  71 

heavenly  city  of  which  she  spoke  this  morn- 
ing." 

"  I  can't  think  of  anything  but  that  insulting 
Bertha  Maxwell,  turning  up  her  nose  at  my 
sweet  flowers,  and  calling  them  nasty  weeds !" 

"  My  dear  sister,  how  unlike  your  spirit  is  to 
the  one  described  by  the  clergyman  in  his  ser 
mon  this  afternoon." 

"  I  didn't  hear  a  word  of  the  sermon." 

"  You  heard  the  text,  surely — c  He  was  led  as 
a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  before 
her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  opened  he  not  his 
mouth.'  Then  he  preached  from  it  about  a  for 
giving  spirit,  and  the  virtue  of  meekness." 

"I  tell  you,  Esther,  it  might  as  well  have 
been  Greek  for  me ;  that  silly  girl  was  all  the 
while  provoking  me.  She  poked  out  her  small 
foot  to  show  it  in  its  silk  stocking  and  purple 
kid  shoe.  Then  she  would  draw  off  her  long 
kid  glove,  and  spread  out  her  hand  to  exhibit 
her  taper  fingers  and  the  rings  on  them.  I  was 
vexed  because  she  was  so  beautiful  and  so 
proud." 

"  The  good  clergyman  said  we  should  over 
come  evil  with  good.  Now,  if  you  had  listened 


72  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

to  the  sermon  and  taken  no  notice  of  her,  it 
would  have  been  far  better  for  you  both." 

They  were  now  silent.  The  quiet  and  peace 
ful  spirit  of  the  gentle  Esther  had  been  dis 
turbed  awhile 'by  the  anger  of  her  sister;  but 
soon  a  sweet  calm  stole  over  her  mind  ;  she  en 
joyed  the  lovely  evening,  and  lifted  up  her 
grateful  heart  to  the  Almighty  Creator. 

When  they  were  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  Ivy  Cottage,  Orpy  exclaimed,  "  Goodness 
me!  there  comes  Miss  Nancy.  She  has  not 
been  as  far  as  this  from  home  in  more  than 
eighteen  years.  What  can  be  the  matter  ?  1 
shouldn't  wonder  if  our  house  was  burnt 
down  1" 

Sure  enough,  there  was  Miss  Nancy,  wearing 
an  antiquated  silk  dress,  and  a  bonnet  the 
fashion  of  which  had  passed  away  before  Esther 
and  Louisa  were  born.  Esther  hastened  to 
meet  her  aunt,  who  greeted  her  with  a  smile. 
The  loving  girl  threw  her  arms  around  Miss 
Nancy's  neck,  and  kissed  her  cheek. 

Miss  Nancy  was  surprised  by  this  token  of 
affection.  Turning  round  and  walking  beside 
Esther  she  said,  "  The  day  has  been  long  and 


THE   WKONG    PEW.  73 

lonely.  I  have  missed  my  poor  parrot.  She 
used  to  keep  up  a  noise,  and  seemed  to  me 
almost  like  a  human  being." 

Esther  slid  her  hand  gently  within  her  aunt's 
arm,  and  pressing  it  slightly,  said,  "  And  did 
you  not  miss  us  too?  I  missed  you,  and  most 
earnestly  longed  to  have  you  with  us  at 
church." 

"  I  suspect  Orpy  has  been  very  talkative. 
She  is  apt  to  be  when  she  gets  a  chance,"  re 
plied  Miss  Nancy,  willing  to  turn  off  the  con 
versation.  "Poor  old  soul,  she  is  getting 
childish." 

"  She  seems  to  be  a  good  Christian  woman — 
is  she?"  asked  Esther,  earnestly. 

"  After  her  fashion,  she  is ;  somewhat  super 
stitious,  according  to  my  notion  ;  yet  she  is 
faithful  to  her  duty." 

Louisa  was  still  in  bad  humor. 

"What  ails  you,  child?"  asked  Miss  Nancy. 

"  I  wish  I  had  stayed  home  from  church  with 
you." 

"Why  so?" 

"  Because,  in  the  first  place,  I  didn't  like  my 
seat  on  the  gallery  stairs  with  a  servant ;  and  I. 


74  BEAUTIFUL   BE.RTHA. 

did  not  like  my  seat  in  Mrs.  Maxwell's  pew 
much  better." 

"In  Mrs.  Maxwell's  pew!"  exclaimed  Miss 
Nancy. 

"Yes;  the  clergyman  told  us  to  sit  there; 
but  that  proud  beauty  would  have  turned  us 
out  if  her  brother  had  not  prevented  it." 

Esther  looked  reprovingly  at  her  sister,  and 
she  was  silent.  Not  another  word  was  spoken 
till  they  reached  home;  but  Esther  felt  Miss 
Nancy's  arm  tremble,  and  saw  that  tears  were 
in  her  eyes. 

The  nice  cold  chicken  and  ham  on  the  tea- 
table  showed  that  Miss  Nancy  had  not  been 
unmindful  of  her  nieces'  comfort.  Their  light 
dinner  and  long  walk  rendered  the  wholesome 
meal  quite  relishing. 

After  they  had  retired  to  their  room,  Louisa 
said,  "I  have  a  question  that  I  want  to  ask 
you,  Esther,  but  I  am  ashamed  to  ask  it ;  I 
know  you  will  think  me  silly." 

"  "What  is  it  ?    Don't  be  afraid." 

"  Will  you  answer  me  candidly  ?" 

"If  lean." 

"  Well,  then,  am  I  handsome?" 


THE   WRONG   PEW.  75 

"  I  never  thought  much  about  it.  You  look 
very  well  to  me." 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  anybody  call  me  pretty  ?" 

"  Never,  that  I  remember." 

Louisa  sighed,  but  questioned  no  farther.  She 
looked  in  the  glass  and  saw  a  pair  of  bright 
dark  eyes,  dark  hair  to  match,  a  nose  that 
turned  a  very  little  the  wrong  way — that  is,  up 
ward,  a  smooth  but  dark  complexion,  and  a 
pair  of  full  red  lips  that  were  given  to  pouting. 
Surely  she  was  not  ugly.  Her  sister's  eyes 
were  blue,  and  her  complexion  fair.  Was 
Evsther  beautiful  ?  Louisa  was  in  doubt. 


CHAPTEE  VIE. 

STYLE   IN   A  SHANDRYDAN. 

"  IT  is  quite  time  for  us  to  have  letters  from 
papa  and  mamma,"  said  Esther,  the  next  morn 
ing  at  the  breakfast- table.  "  How  shall  we  get 
them  ?" 

"  You  can  go  to  the  post-office  in  the  village ; 
you  have  learned  the  way.  The  post-office  is 
near  the  church,"  replied  Miss  Nancy. 

Quite  delighted,  the  girls  started  on  their 
walk  to  the  village. 

How  glorious  was  that  spring  morning !  The 
velvet  grass  dotted  with  flowers;  the  tender 
leaves  of  the  trees,  just  beginning  to  flutter  in 
the  stirring  air;  the  yellow  butterflies,  like 
winged  flowers  hovering  over  the  fields; — all 
were  sources  of  pleasure  to  the  sisters. 

As  they  reached  the  small  post-office  they 


STYLE   IN    A   SIIAJSDRYDAN.  77 

saw  a  queer,  old-fashioned  vehicle  standing  in 
front  of  it, 

"What  is  that?"  exclaimed  Louisa;  "chari 
ot,  phseton,  gig,  or  shandrydwi,  as  papa  would 
say?" 

"  Shandrydan  I  think  it  must  be,"  replied 
Esther,  much  amused. 

It  was  a  four-wheeled  carriage,  the  body  of 
it  a  dingy  yellow,  the  wheels  red,  the  top,  which 
was  thrown  back,  a  faded  green.  Originally  it 
was  designed  for  a  pair  of  horses ;  now  it  was 
drawn  by  a  single  gray  mule.  In  the  carriage 
were  seated  Mrs.  Maxwell  and  her  daughter. 
The  coachman  had  gone  into  the  office.  Coach 
man  !  He  was  a  mulatto  boy,  perhaps  twelve 
years  old,  dressed  in  blue-striped  linen,  and  yet 
a  livery  servant — that  is,  his  shiny  black  hat 
was  ornamented  with  a  gilt  band  and  large 
brass  buckle.  With  these  insignia  of  office, 

"  His  feet,  perchance,  may  lack  a  shoe, 
Yet  he's  a  coachman  through  and  through." 

Grand  and  stately  sat  Mrs.  Maxwell  and  Ber 
tha  in  their  carriage,  as  Esther  and  Louisa  stood 
at  the  door  of  the  post-office. 


78  BEAUTIFUL   UE.RTHA. 

"Mamma,  them's  the  same  country  josies 
what  set  in  our  pew  yesterday,"  said  Bertha. 

"  Indeed !"  exclaimed  the  mother,  motioning 
to  the  sisters  to  come  nearer  the  carriage. 

Esther  stepped  forward,  but  Louisa  stood 
still,  indulging  in  a  little  private  giggle. 

"  Girl !  what  business  have  you  and  that 
other  girl  to  sit  in  genteel  people's  pews  at 
church?"  demanded  the  lady,  throwing  back 
her  head  proudly. 

"The  Rev.  Mr.  ISTelton  requested  us  to  sit 
there,"  replied  Esther,  in  a  remarkably  lady 
like  manner,  and  a  voice  whose  sweetness  was 
equally  remarkable. 

Mrs.  Maxwell  was  puzzled.  "Are  you  the 
children  my  daughter  has  several  times  seen  by 
Honey-pot  brook  ?" 

"  The  very  same,"  cried  Louisa.  "  She 
dashed  mud  and  water  over  us  when  we  stood 
by  the  brook.  She  isn't  very  polite,  if  she  does 
ride  in  a  carriage." 

At  that  moment  the  mulatto  boy  came  out 
of  the  office,  and  saying,  "  No  letters,  marm," 
jumped  on  the  box,  snapped  his  long  whip  at 
the  mule,  and  drove  off. 


STYLE   IN   A   SHANDKYDAN.  79 

"  Style  !  style !"  exclaimed  Louisa,  looking 
after  them,  while  Esther  went  into  the  office ; 
"  style  with  a  vengeance  I"  and  then  the  laugh 
which  had  been  suppressed  bunt  forth — a  com 
pletely  girlish  He  !  he !  he  ! 

This  laugh  was  suddenly  checked  by  the  ap 
proach  of  two  young  lads,  who  smiled  as  they 
cast  a  glance  at  her,  and  walked  leisurely  on 
ward.  One  of  them  was  the  supposed  brother 
of  Bertha  Maxwell. 

"  Oh,  but  he  couldn't  know  what  I  was 
laughing  at,"  thought  Louisa,  quite  troubled 
when,  she  remembered  his  politeness  to  them  at 
church. 

Esther  now  came  out  with  two  letters,  one 
for  each.  All  other  things  were  forgotten.  So 
they  walked  along  reading  these  precious  epis 
tles  from  their  beloved  parents. 

"  My  letter  is  full  of  good  advice,"  said  Lou 
isa,  "  which,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  I  am  not  likely 
to  follow,  unless  I  am  better  than  I  have  been. 
You  do  not  need  as  much  advice,  Esther ;  per 
haps  yours  contains  more  news." 

"You  may  read  it,"  said  Esther,  her  eyes 
brimming  with  tears.  The  last  lines  from  her 


80  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA, 

mother  had  touched  her  tenderly.  They  were 
as  follows : 

"I  know,  my  dear  child,  that  you  are  go 
verned  by  Christian  principles,  and  that  wher 
ever  you  are  your  presence  will  be  like  a  sun 
beam.  I  desire  humbly  to  thank  God  that  He 
has  through  His  grace,  rendered  you  an  un 
speakable  blessing  to  your  father  and  myself." 

"  You  are  a  good  girl,  there  is  no  doubt  of  it, 
Esther,  and  I  love  you  dearly,"  said  Louisa; 
"  and  yet,  do  you  know,  I  sometimes  wish  you 
were  not  half  as  good  as  you  are,  because  I 
should  seem  better  if  we  were  more  alike." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  all  think  me  much  better 
than  I  am,"  replied  Esther,  with  unaffected 
humility 

"  Suppose  we  go  home  by  the  way  of  Casta- 
lia"  suggested  Louisa. 

Esther  cheerfully  assented,  and  they  followed 
the  course  of  the  brook. 

AVhen  they  reached  the  grotto,  they  found  a 
beautiful  fresh  bouquet  of  green-house  flowers 
lying  on  the  rustic  bench  within.  Around  the 
bouquet  was  a  slip  of  paper,  on  which  was 
written  the  following  rough  stanza.  Esther  and 


STYLE   IN   A    SHANDKYDAN.  81 

her  sister  stood  at  the  entrance  of  the  grotto  as 
they  read  it,  Louisa  holding  the  bouquet : 

"  Farewell  to  the  grotto,  farewell  to  the  brook, 

The  haunt  of  the  fairies,  so  beautiful ; 
Farewell,  Violetta,  with  one  parting  look 
To  Rosamia,  good  and  dutiful." 

Damon  and  Pythias. 

Esther  read  the  lines  aloud,  and  at  the  close 
heard  a  sneering  laugh.  Raising  her  eyes,  she 
saw  Bertha  Maxwell  standing  near,  making  up 
a  contemptuous  face. 

"  Suddenly  the  beauty  came  forward  and 
snatched  at  the  flowers,  exclaiming  in  an  angry 
tone,  "  They  are  OUKS  ;  I  know  they  came  from 
our  house,  and  I  will  have  them." 

Louisa  tried  to  lift  the  bouquet  beyond  her 
reach.  Bertha  snatched  at  it  again,  saying, 
"  Dandelions  are  good  enough  for  country 
josies." 

The  passionate  Louisa,  exasperated  by  this 
second  desperate  attack,  made  a  vigorous  de* 
fence  of  her  rights.  She  drew  the  nails  of  her 
left  hand  not  very  lightly  over  the  beauty's  face, 
leaving  three  long  scratches  on  the  beauty's 
rosy  cheek. 

6 


82  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

Esther  seized  hold  of  Louisa's  arm  while  the 
German  maid  took  Bertha  by  the  shoulder  and 
drew  her  off,  yelling  most  piteously,  "  She 
scratches  like  a  wild-cat !" 

"  You  might  better  have  let  her  have  the 
bouquet  than  to  fight  for  it,"  said  Esther. 

"  No  indeed  ;  I  shall  not  yield  my  rights  to 
her." 

"  Calm  yourself,  dear  Louisa ;  you  have 
gained  the  victory,  certainly." 

"  And  carried  off  the  prize.  The  pretty  flow 
ers  are  not  injured,  though  the  pretty  face  is," 
retorted  Louisa,  triumphantly. 

"  Perhaps  for  life.  That  would  be  most  un 
fortunate." 

"  I  don't  think  so.  It  might  do  her  good. 
But,  Esther  dear,  somebody  thinks  we  are  beau 
tiful,  though  you  do  not.  Look  at  that  poetry 
again." 

"  I  think  you  mistake ;  it  is  the  brook  that  is 
called  beautiful." 

"  No,  no ;  the  haunt  of  '  the  fairies  so  beauti 
ful  ' — that  is,  I  and  you" 

"  I  think  it  means  the  brook  ;  there  is  a  com 
ma  after  fairies." 


STYLE   IN   A   SHANDKYDAN.  83 

"  But  you  will  confess  that  YOU  are  called 
'  good  and  dutiful. 

"That  was  only  to  make  out  the  rhyme. 
You  don't  know,  as  you  never  try  to  make 
rhymes,  how  we  adopt  any  word  that  rhymes 
when  we  are  puzzled.  There  are  very  few 
words  that  rhyme  with  beautiful.  Besides,  you 
know  this  is  a  mere  compliment,  not  meant 
for  truth." 

Louisa  shook  her  head  doubtfully,  wishing  to 
believe  that  she  was  called  "  beautiful." 

As  they  reached  Ivy  Cottage  they  heard  the 
sound  of  galloping  on  the  road,  and  running 
through  the  house  to  the  front  gate,  were  just 
in  time  to  see  the  liveried  coachman  spring  off 
the  gray  mule.  Puffing  and  stammering,  he 
handed  a  note  to  Louisa,  saying,  "  Misses  sends 
this  ere  billet  to  the  old  woman  what  lives 
here." 

Louisa  took  the  note,  directed  to  "Nancy 
Perrit." 

"  Do  you  wait  for  an  answer  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  s'pose  I  does." 

Louisa  and  her  sister  found  Miss  Nancy,  and 
handed  her  the  note. 


84:  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?"  she  inquired,  after 
she  had  twice  perused  it.  "Read  it  Esther." 

THE     NOTE. 

"  Two  saucy  girls,  who,  I  hear,  live  with  you 
as  servants,  have  brewtally  attacked  my  beau 
tiful  Bertha,  and  infiicked  a  severe  wound  on 
her  face,  from  which  she  may  never  recover. 
If  these  girls  are  bound  out  to  you,  I  shall  sew 
you  for  damages.  Think  of  the  lovely  creach- 
ure  coming  home  with  the  blood  streaming  over 
her  face,  where  the  lilly  and  the  rose  are  Hen- 
ned  in  such  marvellious  beauty !  Oh,  the  cruel 
deed  !  You  or  they  shall  pay  for  it. 

"  FLOKINDA  MAXWELL." 

Louisa  was  frightened,  and  yet  she  laughed 
convulsively. 

Esther  looked  very  grave,  and  said,  "  Dear 
Aunt  Nancy,  this  is  a  long  story.  Shall  we  let 
the  messenger  go  home,  and  send  an  answer 
when  we  have  had  time  to  think  about  it  ?" 

"  Yes,  by  all  means  let  him  go." 

And  the  messenger  on  his  gallant  gray  gal 
loped  home. 


STYLE   IN   A   SHANDRYDAN.  85 

"  Louisa,  did  you  actually  scratch  Bertha 
Maxwell  ?" 

"  Aunt  Nancy,  I  actually  did ;  and  I  am  not 
a  bit  sorry  for  it,  either." 

"  Stay,  Louisa ;  let  me  tell  the  whole  story, 
beginning  at  the  beginning,"  said  Esther. 

They  sat  down  in  the  little  parlor.  Miss 
Nancy  took  up  her  knitting,  and  listened  quiet 
ly  while  Esther  related  everything  that  had 
happened  to  them  in  connection  with  the  Max 
wells,  and  ended  by  expressing  extreme  regret 
at  what  had  just  happened. 

It  was  doubtful  what  Miss  Nancy  would  say 
or  do.  She  remained  silent  for  at  least  ten 
minutes,  and  then  said,  "  Esther,  go  and  bring 
pen,  ink,  and  paper  here." 

She  did  so. 

"  Now  write  as  I  dictate,  in  a  fair  round 
hand,  plain  as  print,  these  words : 

"Nancy  Perrit  informs  Florinda  Maxwell 
that  the  two  girls  whom  she  takes  for  servants 
are  the  daughters  of  Paul  Perrit,  Esq.,  and  she 
may  ;  sew '  him  for  any  damage  done  to  the 
face  of  the  bequty" 

"  But,  Aunt  Nancy,  would  it  not  be  well  for 


86  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

us  to  say  we  are  sorry  for  the  injury  ?"  gently 
urged  Esther. 

"  You  may  say  what  you  please ;  I  have  said 
my  say." 

"  Louisa  dear,  allow  me  to  express  some  re 
gret  on  your  part." 

"  I  can't  say  I  am  sorry  when  I  am  not.  I 
only  defended  myself." 

"  The  flowers,  you  mean." 

"  "Well,  my  property,  then." 

Esther  added  to  the  note  :  "  Esther  Perrit 
regrets  exceedingly  that  Miss  Bertha  Maxwell 
should  have  received  a  wound  on  her  very 
pretty  face,  and  hopes  the  consequences  will  not 
be  lasting." 

The  question  now  was,  who  should  carry  the 
note.  It  was  at  last  settled  that  old  Orpy,  who 
now  and  then  hobbled  on  week  days  to  the  vil 
lage,  should,  after  dinner,  be  the  bearer.  Miss 
Nancy  was  amused  at  the  astonishment  of  the 
poor  deaf  woman  when  she  told  her  that  she 
was  to  carry  the  note  to  the  "  big  white  house." 

"What  is  to  come  of  all  this!"  exclaimed 
Orpy,  who  could  not  conjecture  what  it  was  all 
about. 


STYLE   IN   A   SHANDEYDAN.  87 

The  sisters  then  read  the  kind  messages  in 
their  letters  from  their  parents  to  Miss  Nancy, 
who  seemed  in  unusually  good  spirits. 

While  Orpy  was  absent  they  planted  flower 
seeds  with  their  aunt  in  the  garden,  and  then 
assisted  her  to  get  tea.  Louisa  was  in  high 
spirits,  and  quite  delighted  Miss  Nancy  with 
lively  little  songs  and  funny  stories. 

Esther  waited  with  some  anxiety  for  the  re 
turn  of  the  infirm  messenger,  regretting  among 
other  things  that  this  affair  had  been  the  cause 
of  trouble  to  her. 

She  came  just  at  sunset,  laughing  aloud  as 
she  entered  the  house. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?"  they  would  all  have 
asked,  but  Orpy  saved  them  the  trouble. 

"  Marm  Maxwell  sent  for  me  to  come  in.  By 
the  motion  of  her  mouth  and  the  shaking  of 
her  fist,  I  suppose  she  talked  very  loud.  I  was 
not  the  wiser  for  it,  but  I  did  not  tell  her  I  was 
hard  of  hearing.  Then  she  pointed  to  her 
daughter  and  the  three  long  scratches  on  her 
face,  and  shook  her  first  at  me  again.  I  wasn't 
a  bit  frightened.  Then  the  gal,  she  began,  and 
she  talked  and  talked,  and  grew  red  in  the 


88  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

face  as  a  piny,  stamped  her  small  foot  at  me, 
and  set  a  little  dog  to  bark  at  me.  Just  then  a 
nice  young  lad  came  in,  who  appeared  to  be  all 
ready  for  a  journey,  but  seeing  me  he  stopped. 
Then  he  went  to  the  sideboard  and  got  out  some 
very  poor  cake  (that  wasn't  his  fault)  and  a  glass 
of  wine,  and  handed  it  to  me  himself.  Only 
think  of  that!  to  poor  old  Orpy!  The  nice 
young  gentleman !  Then  the  marni  held  her 
tongue,  and  the  gal  pouted.  The  lad  then 
shook  hands  with  his  mother,  kissed  his  sister, 
and  beckoned  me  out  of  the  house.  Then  he 
gave  rne  this  little  billet,  and  jumped  into  the 
funny  carriage,  and  the  yallow  boy  drove  off  as 
fast  as  the  old  mule  could  trot.  As  I  shut  the 
gate  I  saw  the  marm  standing  in  the  door  beck 
oning  to  me ;  but  I  thought  I  might  as  well  be 
blind  as  well  as  deaf  just  then,  and  so  I  hobbled 
off  as  fast  as  my  old  legs  would  carry  me." 

The  note  was  as  follows : 

"  William  Maxwell  regrets  that  the  extreme 
rudeness  of  his  sister  should  have  given  so 
much  annoyance  to  the  two  young  ladies  who 
are  visiting  Miss  Pen-it.  lie  assures  them 
that  the  injury  sustained  by  his  sister  is  very 


STYLE  IN   A    SHANDRYDAN.  89 

slight,  and  need  not  give  them  the  least  un 
easiness." 

Miss  Nancy  evidently  was  much  pleased  with 
this  polite  note.  Louisa  was  in  ecstacies,  which 
were  somewhat  abated  when  Esther  told  her 
she  should  give  an  account  of  the  whole,  affair 
to  her  lather  and  mother,  and  ask  their  advice. 


CHAPTER  IX, 

PATSY   GKACY. 

THE  next  day  the  girls  went  to  the  grotto, 
fearing  lest  they  should  meet  Bertha  Maxwell. 

The  beloved  grotto  !  Some  one  had  entirely 
destroyed  its  beauty.  The  pebbles  were  all 
scattered,  the  moss  thrown  out,  the  shells  bro 
ken,  and  the  rustic  bench  was  floating  in  the 
brook. 

Louisa  sat  down  and  cried.  Esther  tried  to 
console  her  with  the  prospect  of  restoring  it  to 
its  former  condition. 

"JSTo,  no,"  she  said;  "it  never  will  be  the 
same.  Only  think  how  beautifully  the  names 
Rosamia  and  Yioletta  looked  in  the  green  moss, 
with  the  circle  of  pure  white  pebbles  around 
them  1" 

"  Well,  it  was  all  a  pretty  little  piece  of  ro- 


PATSY   GKACY.  91 

mance,  and  it  is  passed.  We  will  not  play  we 
are  fairies  any  longer.  E"ow  the  weather  is 
warmer  we  will  fix  up  the  grotto  again,  and 
come  here  sometimes  with  our  books,  and  study 
botany.  We  can  gather  flowers,  you  know, 
and  examine  them  here,  and  make  this  a  kind 
of  museum.  Nobody  will  want  our  trea 


sures." 


"  A  museum  !  Oh,  yes,  I  should  like  that  ; 
but  I  am  afraid,  now  that  hateful  Bertha  has 
begun  to  torment  us,  she  will  never  leave  our 
things  alone." 

"  We  are  not  sure  she  was  the  person  who 
did  this  mischief." 

"/  am  quite  sure,  and  I  say  it  is  a  mean  re 
venge." 

"  All  revenge  is  mean,  my  dear  sister.  Come, 
let  us  try  a  new  walk  to-day.  We  have  never 
wandered  far  along  the  brook  in  that  direction. 
We  may  find  something  curious  for  our  mu 
seum." 

Louisa  started  up,  brushed  away  the  tears, 
and  arm  in  arm  the  sisters  walked  on.  When 
they  were  more  than  a  mile  from  Ivy  Cottage, 
a  dark  cloud  suddenly  rose.  They  ran  some 


92  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

distance  in  a  green  lane,  without  knowing 
whither  it  would  lead,  when  the  rain  began  to 
pour. 

Under  a  large  pine  tree,  by  the  road-side, 
they  saw  a  young  girl  seated,  with  a  book  on 
her  lap.  A  cow  and  two  sheep  were  feeding 
near  her.  The  sisters  took  shelter  under  the 
tree.  The  girl  started  up. 

"  Don't  ]et  us  disturb  you,"  said  Esther ;  "  we 
have  got  caught  in  a  shower,  some  distance 
from  home." 

"  Oh,  April  has  not  forgotten  her  old  tricks," 
said  the  stranger.  "We  are  going  to  have  a 
pretty  smart  shower.  If  it  should  thunder  and 
lighten,  it  wouldn't  be  a  safe  place  under  that 
tree.  Run  to  our  house  yonder.  You  see  the 
large  red  gate ;  go  through  it  and  up  to  the 
house.  Just  knock  at  the  door;  mother  will 
bid  you  come  in.  I  will  follow  with  Mincey 
and  my  other  pets." 

So  saying,  the  girl  took  up  a  long  stick  and 
hurried  her  "  pets  "  homeward,  while  the  sisters 
ran  on  as  fast  as  they  could. 

"  Come  in,"  said  a  voice  in  reply  to  their 
knock  at  the  door  of  a  small  red  house. 


PATSY    GRACY.  93 

A  tidily-dressed  woman  was  sitting  by  the 
fire  in  the  neat  carpeted  kitchen.  She  was 
spooling  woolen  yarn. 

"  Ah,  you  have  been  overtaken  by  an  April 
shower.  Take  off  your  bonnets  and  sacks,  and 
dry  your  feet." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Esther,  "  our  sacks  are  so 
thick  they  shed  off  rain  like  ducks'  wings." 

"Papa  knew  all  about  March  winds  and  April 
showers  when  he  bought  us  these  coarse  and 
ugly  things,"  said  Louisa,  who  was  so  much 
chagrined  at  being  taken  by  Mrs.  Maxwell  for 
a  servant,  that  she  determined  this  person 
should  know  she  was  somebody. 

When  the  woman  had  put  some  dry  wood  on 
the  fire,  and  placed  chairs  for  the  sisters,  she 
inquired  if  they  had  seen  a  girl  about  their  age 
on  the  road. 

"  Here  I  am,  mother  dear,"  she  answered  for 
herself,  "wet  as  a  drowned  rat;  and  what  is 
worse,  my  poor  book  has  fallen  in  the  mud,  and 
is  thoroughly  drenched." 

"  Let  me  dry  the  book,"  said  Esther ;  "  it 
looks  like  an  old  friend — f  Adams'  Latin  Gram- 


94:  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"  So  it  is.  Let  it  stand  while  I  go  and  change 
myself  from  a  drizzle-drazzle  to  something  more 
decent." 

"  Patsy  is  always  just  so  cheerful,"  said  the 
mother.  "  While  she  is  looking  after  the  cow 
and  sheep,  she  finds  plenty  of  time  to  study 
and  read.  She  is  fond  of  study,  though  she 
never  has  been  to  school  a  day  in  her  life." 

"She  recites  to  you,  does  she  not?"  asked 
Louisa,  with  a  doubtful  smile. 

"  Yes,  when  her  brother  is  absent  at  college. 
While  he  is  at  home  during  vacation,  he  makes 
her  review  all  she  has  been  over  during  his 
absence." 

Patsy  now  came  in  with  a  tray  in  her  hands, 
on  which  were  ginger-cakes  and  spring  water. 
"  Plain  fare  and  a  hearty  welcome,"  said  she, 
offering  it  to  her  guests. 

"  This  is  my  mother,  Mrs.  Gracy,"  continued 
she,  "  and  I  am  Margaret,  Peg,  Peggy,  or  Pat 
sy  Gracy,  just  which  you  please." 

"This  is  Louisa  Perrit,  and  my  name  is 
Esther.  We  are  staying  with  our  aunt,  Miss 
Nancy  Perrit." 

"  Indeed !     And  how  is  Miss  Nancy  ?     I  be- 


PATSY   GRACY.  95 

lieve  she  seldom  leaves  Ivy  Cottage,"  eagerly 
inquired  Mrs.  Gracy. 

"  Seldom !  Never !"  replied  Louisa.  "  She 
is  like  a  snail,  always  with  its  house  over 
itself." 

"Nancy  and  I  were  schoolmates  in  our  girl 
hood.  A  lively,  pretty  girl  was  she,  as  smart 
for  study  as  for  play.  But  times  are  sadly 
changed  since  then,"  said  Mrs.  Gracy,  with  a 
sigh. 

"  But  we  have  nice  times  now,  mother,  you. 
know  we  do,  only  when  I  drench  my  old  Latin 
Grammar,"  Patsy  said,  as  she  tried  to  bend  the 
warped  cover  of  her  book  back  to  its  original 
shape. 

The  shower  was  now  over.  The  girls  thanked 
Mrs.  Gracy  and  Patsy  warmly  for  their  hospi 
tality.  Esther  doubted  if  it  would  please  Misa 
Nancy  to  have  them  invite  company  to  Ivy 
Cottage ;  indeed,  it  had  been  expressly  forbid 
den  ;  but  Louisa,  delighted  to  find  a  lively  com 
panion  near  her  own  age,  said,  "  You  must  come 
and  see  us,  Patsy,  very  soon." 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Mrs.  Gracy ;  "  we  are 
somewhat  like  your  aunt,  we  seldom  go  beyond 


96  BEAUTIFUL  BEETHA. 

our  own  roof;  but  we  shall  be  happy  to  see 
you  here  very  frequently.  Patsy  has  a  fine  col 
lection  of  sea-shells,  which  she  will  show  you." 

"  "We  will  come,  certainly,"  replied  Louisa. 

"If  Aunt  JSTancy  will  give  us  permission," 
said  the  more  prudent  Esther. 

"  Give  my  kindest  regards  to  her,"  said  Mrs. 
Gracy. 

The  rain  had  left  diamond  drops  on  every 
leaf  and  every  blade  of  grass,  the  birds  were 
singing  their  merriest  songs,  and  the  sun  was 
peering  out  through  curtains  of  gorgeous  clouds 
on  the  fresh  and  beautiful  earth. 

"  What  nice  people  those  are !"  exclaimed 
Louisa ;  "  and  how  funny  to  find  them  living  in 
that  small  cottage,  and  working  for  their  living." 

"  So  intelligent  and  well-bred,  too !"  respond 
ed  her  sister ;  "  such  real  hospitality  !" 

"And  so  dreadfully  funny  to  be  studying 
Latin  Grammar,  and  taking  care  of  cows  and 
sheep !" 

"I  should  have  thought  your  love  for  the 
romantic  would  have  made  you  admire  a  shep 
herdess." 

"  Yes,  if  she  wore  a  real  shepherdess  hat  and 


PATSY    GKACY.  97 

carried  a  crook  ornamented  with  blue  ribbon, 
and  had  a  little  white  dog,  just  as  we  see  in 
pictures." 

"  Ah,  Louisa  dear,  you  are  not  the  only  per 
son  who  prefers  an  imaginary  picture  to  plain 
reality." 

Miss  Nancy  had  been  much  troubled  during 
the  absence  of  her  nieces.  Again  and  again 
had  she  been  to  the  door  and  looked  out  the 
windows,  muttering,  "  Children  are  a  great 
deal  of  trouble.  Something  dreadful  will  hap 
pen  to  those  girls,  and  then  what  will  Paul  and 
their  mother  say  ?" 

When  they  at  last  appeared,  dancing  along 
full  of  life  and  joy,  she  looked  half  provoked 
that  she  had  given  herself  unnecessary  anxiety 
about  them. 

They  ran  to  her,  and  each  in  turn  threw  her 
arms  around  Miss  Nancy's  neck  and  kissed 
her.  She  couldn't  resist  it ;  her  heart  was  be 
ginning  to  melt  under  their  warm  affection  ;  she 
actually  kissed  them  in  return,  but  at  the  same 
time  said,  "  Naughty  girls,  where  were  you 
during  the  shower  ?" 

"  At  Mrs.  Gracy's,"  they  both  replied. 


y8  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

"  Mrs.  Gracy's,  to  be  sure !     How  came  you 
there?" 

"Oh,  Aunt  Nancy,  tea  is  all  ready,"  said 
Louisa,   and  I  am  so  hungry.      Let  us  take 
off  our   things,   and    while  we    are   at    table 
we  will  tell  you  all  about  our  afternoon's  ad 
venture." 

"Yery  well." 

They  related  every  circumstance,  and  con 
cluded  with  Mrs.  Gracy's  "  kindest  regards." 

"  Poor  Mrs.  Gracy !"  exclaimed  Miss  Nancy. 
"  She  was  the  richest  heiress  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  She  married  a  gay  man,  who  spent 
nearly  all  her  property,  and  then  left  her  with 
two  children.  Nobody  knows  whether  he  is 
living  or  dead.  She  sends  her  son  Hamilton  to 
college,  you  say.  I  wonder  how,  with  her 
small  means,  she  is  able  to  do  so." 

"She  was  winding  yarn  on  spools,"  said 
Louisa. 

"For  the  carpet  factory,  I  presume,"  con 
tinued  Miss  Nancy.  "  She  owns  the  house 
where  she  lives,  and  a  small  farm.  Her  name 
was  Margaret  Hamilton,  and  little  did  any  one 
dream  that  the  rich  heiress  would  over  have  to 


PATSY   GRACY.  99 

eke  out  her  living  by  working  with,  her  delicate 
hands." 

"I  observed  they  were  small  and  delicate, 
and  that  her  manners  were  lady-like.  May  we 
ask  Patsy  to  come  and  see  us,  Aunt  Nancy  ?r 
timidly  urged  Esther. 

Miss  Nancy  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then 
replied,  "  You  can  ask  her  to  come  to  your  fa 
vorite  grotto  and  play  with  you  there." 

"  Oh,  but  Aunt  Nancy,  some  cruel  wretch 
has  spoiled  it  entirely,"  passionately  exclaimed 
Louisa  ;  and  then  she  gave  a  glowing  account  of 
its  present  condition. 

"  Just  like  them— just  like  them,"  muttered 
Miss  Nancy ;  and  then  she  quickly  spoke,  as 
though  it  cost  her  an  effort,  "  Well,  then,  you 
may  ask  Patsy  to  come  to  the  house.  From 
what  you.  say,  she  must  be  a  nice  country  girl, 
and  not  ashamed  to  work,  though  she  does 
study  Latin  Grammar." 


CHAPTEK  X. 

WORK  AND  PLAT. 

A  FEW  days  after,  the  sisters  went  to  pay  an 
other  visit  to  Patsy  Gracy.  As  they  approached 
the  house,  who  should  they  see  but  Bertha  Max 
well  mounted  on  the  second  rail  of  the. red  gate, 
and  her  maid,  who  always  followed  like  a  sha 
dow,  standing  near. 

Not  far  from  the  gate  was  a  garden,  and  there 
was  Patsy  Gracy  hoeing  peas. 

After  what  had  passed  between  Bertha  and 
Louisa,  the  meeting  was  not  likely  to  be  a  plea 
sant  one.  The  gate  must  be  passed,  however,  as 
it  was  the  only  entrance  to  the  house. 

Esther  stepped  up  to  it,  and  said  very  gently, 
"  Please,  let  me  open  this  gate,"  while  Louisa 
hung  back,  looking  fiercely  at  her  enemy. 

"  No  ;  I  shall  not  trouble  myself  to  move  for 
you,"  was  the  reply. 


WOKK   AND    PLAY.  101 

Patsy  threw  down  her  hoe  and  came  to  the 
gate,  exclaiming,  "  Oh,  I  am  right  glad  to  see 
you,  girls.  Get  off,  Miss,  and  stand  back,"  she 
said  impatiently  to  Bertha.  But  Bertha  still 
clung  to  the  gate. 

"Then  I  shall  be  forced  to  open  it  and 
give  you  a  swing,"  said  Patsy;  and  the  gate 
swung  in  on  its  hinges,  Bertha  still  clinging 
to  it. 

Without  taking  any  further  notice  of  her, 
Patsy  said,  "  Come  in,  girls,  my  mother  will 
be  very  glad  to  see  you." 

And  they  walked  to  the  house  without  be 
stowing  another  glance  on  the  beauty. 

Mrs.  Gracy  was  ironing.  She  made  no  apol 
ogy,  but  continued  her  work,  after  having  given 
a  cordial  welcome  to  the  visitors. 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  that  hateful  Bertha 
Maxwell  before  ?"  asked  Louisa. 

"  Oh,  yes,  hundreds  of  times,"  replied  Patsy. 
"  She  frequently  comes  and  looks  at  me,  when  I 
am  at  work  in  the  garden,  for  a  whole  hour  at  a 
time.  I  never  take  the  least  notice  of  her ;  and 
as  she  has  been  forbidden  to  speak  to  any  of  us 
country  folks,  she  does  not  trouble  me." 


102  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"What  flowers  are  you  cultivating  in  your 
garden  ?" 

"Papilionaceous  ones,"  replied  Patsy,  with  a 
merry  laugh. 

"  I  do  not  understand  that  hard  Latin  word  ; 
I  have  only  just  begun  to  study  botany." 

"Well,  my  papilionaceous  flowers  are  peas 
and  beans.  When  brother  was  home  he  plant 
ed  them,  and  now  they  need  hoeing,  and  you 
found  me  hard  at  it.  I  hope,  one  of  these  days, 
you  will  come  and  eat  some  of  them.  It  seems 
a  wonderful  mystery  to  Bertha  Maxwell  to  see 
me  doing  all  kinds  of  work,  for  I  am  told  she 
never  does  anything.  Poor  thing,  I  pity  her !" 

"  So  do  I,  most  sincerely,"  replied  Esther. 

Mrs.  Gracy  remarked  that,  in  Bertha's  case, 
it  was  a  great  misfortune  to  be  beautiful,  though 
it  was  not  necessarily  so.  Beauty  was  like  any 
other  good  gift,  to  be  used  as  a  loan  from  the 
giver. 

"My  brother  Hamilton  admires  Bertha  ex 
ceedingly,"  replied  Patsy.  "He  raves  about 
her  angelic  beauty.  I  can't  see  that  she  is 
beautiful." 

"Angelic !"  exclaimed  Louisa,  contemptuously. 


WORK  AND   PLAY.  103 

"  She  is  not  very  amiable,  I  believe,"  said 
Mrs.  Gracy;  "but  Hamilton  will  not  be  con 
vinced  of  the  fact  until  he  has  some  other  proof 
besides  hearsay." 

Louisa  was  ready  to  give  her  opinion,  but 
Esther  interrupted  her  by  inquiring  if  the 
young  gentleman,  Bertha's  brother,  were  not 
very  unlike  his  sister. 

"William  Maxwell  is  a  fine  fellow;  he  is 
my  son's  most  intimate  friend  at  college.  They 
have  been  like  brothers  in  affection  ever  since 
they  were  little  children." 

"  Damon  and  Pythias !"  whispered  Louisa. 

Patsy  now  brought  out  apples  and  hickory 
nuts,  over  which  the  girls  chatted  for  an  hour, 
and  then  they  took  their  leave,  after  inviting 
Patsy  to  come  and  spend  the  next  afternoon 
with  them. 

They  had  much  to  talk  over  on  their  way 
home.  Many  conjectures  were  made  about 
Hamilton  Gracy,  and  much  delight  expressed 
that  they  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  Patsy. 
They  went  to  the  grotto,  and  decided  to  put  it 
once  more  in  order  for  their  museum ;  to  clean 
it  out  neatly,  and  cover  the  floor  again  with  moss. 


104:  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

"I  wonder  how  Patsy  and  her  mother  can 
work  so  cheerfully  when  they  have  not  been 
used  to  it,"  remarked  Louisa,  as  she  was  carry 
ing  an  apronful  of  moss  and  pebbles  out  of 
the  grotto. 

Esther  laughed,  and  said,  "  You  work  quite 
as  cheerfully  yourself." 

"  Yes  ;  but  then  this  is  play." 

"  Oh,  you  only  work  when  you  play ;  perhaps 
Patsy  only  plays  when  she  works." 

"  How  is  that  ?" 

"She  may  find  as  much  pleasure  in  real  work 
as  you  do  in  this  which  you  call  play." 

"Can  that  be  possible?" 

"  It  would  seem  so  from  her  merry  face.  The 
day  we  found  her  under  the  tree,  she  looked  as 
happy  and  as  independent  as  a  queen ;  and  to 
day,  the  way  she  hoed  those  'papilionaceous 
flowers '  was  not  like  that  of  one  who  finds  hard 
work  a  disagreeable  task." 

"  She  was  thinking,  perhaps,  how  nicely  the 
peas  would  taste  when  her  brother  came  home 
to  share  them  with  her.  It  seems  he  can  work, 
too,  though  he  is  a  college  student." 

When  they  had  removed  the  rubbish  from 


WOKK   AKD   PLAY.  105 

the  grotto,  they  swept  it  out  with  a  broom  made 
of  young  twigs — a  brush-broom,  which  Esther 
manufactured;  then,  finding  the  bench  had 
floated  ashore,  they  carried  it  to  its  former 
place,  and  went  home  quite  satisfied  with  the 
task  they  had  accomplished.  "Work  it  was — • 
hard  work,  too ;  and  yet,  so  long  as  they  called 
it  play,  it  was  charming. 


CHAPTER  XL 

LOVE  OF  THE    BEAUTIFUL. 

THE  next  day  great  preparations  were  going 
on  at  Ivy  Cottage  for  the  expected  visitor. 

Miss  Nancy  even  allowed  some  of  her  flow 
ers  to  be  gathered.  Jonquils,  and  pansies,  and 
suow-drops,  and  lilac  buds  were  placed  in  two 
large  goblets  on  the  mantel,  each  side  of  the 
French  clock.  The  new  China  tea  things  were 
brought  out,  and  the  beloved  silver  cream  jug 
and  sugar  bowl  placed  with  them  on  the  tea- 
table  ;  then  all  were  covered  over  with  a  dam 
ask  napkin.  The  baking  that  was  done  that 
day  in  the  kitchen  would  have  sufficed  for  a 
large  tea  party.  A  rare  occurrence — an  event 
of  great  consequence  in  Miss  Nancy's  life  was  it 
to  receive  an  invited  guest. 

And  Patsy  came  soon  after  dinner,  looking 


LOVE   OF   THE   BEAUTIFUL.  107 

as  bright  and  as  cheerful  as  a  June  morning. 
They  hastened  with  her  to  their  own  room,  to 
take  off  her  bonnet  and  shawl.  The  doors  of 
the  book-case  happened  to  be  open.  Patsy,  be 
fore  she  had  time  to  throw  aside  her  bonnet, 
exclaimed,  "  Are  all  those  your  books  ?" 

"  Yes.     Would  you  like  to  look  at  them  ?" 

"  Indeed  I  should  ;  I  have  but  three  books  of 
my  own,  besides  my  school  books  and  Bible." 

Patsy's  exclamations  of  wonder  and  delight 
pleased  the  sisters  exceedingly.  She  made  but 
one  objection  to  their  library:  "There  is  too 
much  poetry  in  it." 

"  Too  much  poetry !  Don't  you  love  poetry  ?" 
asked  Esther,  with  surprise. 

"  ~No ;  I  prefer  prose.  I  knew  you  must  be 
poetical  and  romantic." 

"  How  did  you  know  that  ?"  eagerly  demand 
ed  Louisa. 

"Because  of  the  grotto  and  the  fairy  names, 
replied  Patsy,  laughing. 

"  Who  told  you  about  our  grotto  ?" 

"The  same  person  who  told  me  you  called 
yourselves  the*fairies  Rosamia  and  Yioletta." 

"But  who  could  it  be?" 


108  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"My  brother  Hamilton.  He  and  "William 
Maxwell  were  seated  on  a  bank  on  the  other 
side  of  the  brook,  behind  some  bushes,  the  day 
you  found  the  grotto.  They  did  not  like  to 
move  for  fear  you  would  be  frightened,  and  so 
they  were  obliged  to  hear  all  you  said.  They 
amused  themselves  with  ornamenting  the  grot 
to,  and  they  know  you  only  by  the  names  of 
Kosamia  and  Yioletta."  , 

"  They  must  have  thought  us  very  silly,"  said 
Esther. 

"  And  laughed  at  us,  I  dare  say,"  added 
Louisa. 

"They  did  laugh,  but  good-naturedly.  I 
don't  think  they  are  quite  as  common-place  and 
prosy  as  I  am." 

"  Then  they  did  laugh  at  us,"  continued  Lou 
isa  ;  "  that  was  too  bad.  I  arn  half  angry  with 
them  ;  are  not  you,  too,  Esther  ?" 

"  I  am  more  ashamed  than  angry ;  and  yet, 
as  it  was  merely  for  our  own  amusement,  I  don't 
know  that  we  were  so  very  ridiculous,  after  all." 

"  Ridiculous !  By  no  means ;  they  only 
thought  you  had  read  fairy  tales,  and  were  ra 
ther  romantic." 


LOVE   OF   THE   BEAUTIFUL.  109 

"  No  doubt  we  are.  Aunt  Nancy  thinks  so, 
too.  By  the  way,  we  must  go  down  and  see 
her,  or  she  may  not  like  it,"  said  Esther,  leading 
the  way  down  stairs. 

Miss  Nancy  was  shy  and  awkward  at  first 
with  her  young  visitor;  but  Patsy's  habitual 
good  nature  and  frank,  cordial  manners,  soon 
made  her  feel  at  ease,  and  she  inquired  with 
much  interest  after  Mrs.  Gracy. 

"  Now  I  want  to  see  the  famous  grotto.  Sup 
pose  we  take  a  run  down  to  Honey-pot  brook — 
oh,  I  beg  its  pardon — to  the  Delaware,"  said 
Patsy. 

"To  Castalia;  I  won't  be  laughed  out  of  it," 
rejoined  Louisa. 

To  the  grotto  they  went,  and  the  sisters  told 
Patsy  all  about  the  beauty's  spite  against  them. 

"  We  are  going  to  have  the  grotto  for  a  mu 
seum  now,"  said  Louisa,  as  they  reached  the 
favorite  haunt  of  the  fairies. 

"Why  it  is  only  four  big  rocks,  just  piled 
together!"  exclaimed  Patsy. 

"But  the  rocks  make  a  grotto,  and  it  was 
beautiful  when  the  floor  was  covered  with  velvet 
moss  and  pearly  pebbles."  said  Esther. 


110  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

"  And  we  have  had  so  much  pleasure  here ; 
I  never  enjoyed  any  spot  so  much  in  my  life," 
added  Louisa,  warmly. 

"  It  must  be  because  you  have  always  lived 
in  the  city ; — the  rocks  are  only  rocks  to  me, 
and  the  moss  is  just  a  kind  of  common  stuff 
that  covers  them,"  said  Patsy. 

"But  when  you  examine  the  moss  through 
our  pocket  microscope  you  will  not  say  so. 
Look  here,  how  beautiful  this  specimen  is,  eveii 
without  magnifying.  Don't  you  see  all  those 
funny  little  caps  with  pointed  crowns?"  said 
Louisa,  showing  a  bit  of  moss. 

"  I  have  studied  Botany,  but  have  never  exa 
mined  plants.  I  have  had  too  much  hard  work 
to  do  to  spare  time  for  it." 

"  But  don't  you  think  you  can  spare  an  hour 
or  two  now  and  then  to  come  to  our  museum 
and  help  us  make  a  collection  of  shells,  and 
stones,  and  flowers,  and  bees,  and  butterflies, 
and  everything  curious  and  beautiful  ?" 

"  I  suspect  I  have  no  taste  for  the  beautiful." 

"  No  taste  for  the  beautiful !  is  it  possible !" 
exclaimed  Esther ;  "  my  mother  is  a  dear  lover 
of  the  beautiful,  and  she  says  God  has  made 


LOVE   OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL.  Ill 

beautiful  things  for  us  to  admire,  and  given  us 
a  sense  of  beauty,  which  is  a  source  of  great 
pleasure  to  us,  and  ought  to  be  cultivated." 

"  I  am  very  willing  to  cultivate  it,  if  there  is 
anything  to  begin  with. — Hush!  there  comes 
Beauty  herself." 

"And  Beauty's  mother!"  exclaimed  Louisa*, 
as  she  perceived  Mrs.  Maxwell  and  Bertha  ap 
proaching. 

"  Let  us  retreat  into  the  grotto,"  said  Esther. 

" !No,  no ;  I  shall  not  retreat,"  replied  Louisa, 
seating  herself  on  a  rock ;  "  Sit  by  me,  Patsy." 

"  Yes,  and  stand  ~by  you,  too,"  Patsy  said, 
casting  a  look  of  defiance  at  the  lady  and  her 
daughter.  Esther  in  the  mean  while  stood  in 
front  of  the  grotto,  looking  anxiously  at  her  sister. 

"  So ;  you  are  the  naughty  children  who 
trouble  my  Bertha,"  began  Mrs.  Maxwell. 

"You  are  mistaken,  madam,  entirely  mis 
taken,"  interrupted  Patsy;  "I  never  spoke  to* 
her  but  once  in  my  life,  and  then  she  would  not 
get  off  from  our  gate." 

"  Oh,  ma !  she  is  the  farm-girl ;  that  one  there 
is  the  saucy  minx  who  scratched  my  face,"  said 
Bertha,  pointing  at  Louisa. 


112  BEAUTIFUL   BERTH  A. 

"  She  is  indeed !  How  dare  you  insult  and 
injure  my  lovely  Bertha,  in  such  a  shocking 
manner?"  And  Mrs.  Maxwell  waxed  wrathy 
and  red. 

Esther  now  came  forward.  "  My  sister  has  a 
hasty  temper,  Mrs.  Maxwell,  and  your  daughter 
was  very  rude,  and  very  provoking.  I  see  no 
marks  of  the  scratches  on  her  face." 

"  'No ;  if  there  had  been,  I  should  have  gone 
to  law  about  it." 

"  I  had  a  letter  from  my  father  yesterday,  and 
he  wants  to  know  whether  you  intend  to  sew 
him  up  in  a  bag  or  to  mend  his  coat.  He  begs 
you  will  excuse  him  from  the  former,  and  he 
will  excuse  you  from  the  latter,"  said  Louisa. 

"  "What  is  the  saucy  child  talking  about  ?  I 
said  I  would  sue  him  for  damages." 

"  Ko ;  you  said  you  would  s-e-w  sew  him.  1 
sent  him  your  note." 

•»  "  They  pretend  to  be  some  pumpkins,  don't 
they,  ma?"  said  the  beauty,  contemptuously ; 
"  and  yet  they  keep  company  with  the  farm-girl, 
who  digs,  and  rakes,  and  hoes,  and  drives  cattle." 

"  "Well,  does  it  do  you  any  harm?"  demanded 
Patsy. 


LOVE   OF   THE   BEAUTIFUL.  113 

«  NO." 

"  Neither  does  it  harm  me.  It  has  afforded 
you  some  amusement,  and  I  think  you  ought  to 
be  very  much  obliged  to  me,  for  you  seem  to  be 
sadly  in  want  of  occupation." 

"  Come,  my  dear,  we  are  only  wasting  words 
on  these  vulgar  persons,"  whispered  Mrs.  Max 
well  to  her  daughter  Bertha,  but  so  loud  as 
to  be  distinctly  understood  by  the  rest  of  the 
group. 

"  I  have  heard  my  mother  say  nothing  is  vul 
gar  but  pretension  "  remarked  Louisa,  in  a  con 
temptuous  tone.  "  She  said  plainness  was  not 
vulgarity — poverty  was  not  vulgarity — igno 
rance,  if  it  were  not  wilful  ignorance,  was  a 
misfortune.  Nothing  else  but  pretension  ought 
to  be  called  vulgar." 

Mrs.  Maxwell  was  astonished  at  the  boldness 
of  this  speech.  Patsy  clapped  her  hands,  ex 
claiming,  "Good,  good!"  Bertha  drew  her 
mother  along,  saying,  "  That  girl  is  the  sauciest 
piece  I  ever  see.  Suppose  we  get  out  of  her 
way  as  soon  as  we  can." 

The  three  girls  had  the  civility  to  refrain 
from  laughter  till  mother  and  daughter  were 


114:  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

out  of  sight,  and  then  peal  on  peal  startled  the 
fishes  of  Honey-pot  brook. 

They  soon  after  returned  to  Ivy  Cottage, 
where  Miss  Nancy  was  waiting  for  them,  and 
with  keen  appetites  they  partook  of  her  boun 
tiful  tea-supper. 

ME.   PERRIT'S   LETTER  TO   LOUISA. 

"Your  most  welcome  letter,  iny  dear  child, 
pleased  and  amused  us,  and  yet  it  did  not 
entirely  meet  your  mother's  and  my  appro 
bation.  It  is  very  funny,  no  doubt,  that  I  am 
to  be  'sewed'  by  Mrs.  Maxwell.  Will  she  sew 
me  up  in  a  bag,  as  they  threaten  to  do  naughty 
children?  or  will  she  mend  my  clothing?  I 
beg  she  will  excuse  me  from  the  first,  and  I  will 
excuse  her  from  the  last. — And  you  to.  scratch 
Beauty's  face!  Really,  my  dear  daughter,  I 
cannot  be  funny  nor  witty  about  this  matter, 
for  I  feel  soberly,  almost  sadly.  I  fear  there  is 
some  naughty  envy  in  your  young  heart,  and  a 
spice  of  malice  towards  Bertha  Maxwell.  Ex 
amine  well  that  warm  and  sometimes  generous 
heart,  and  see  if  it  be  not  so.  Has  not  the  un 
common  beauty  of  your  country  neighbor  ex- 


LOVE   OF   THE   BEAUTIFUL.  115 

cited  other  emotions  beside  admiration  and 
pity? 

"  A  mistaken  and  injurious  education  has  de 
veloped  faults  in  Bertha  which  perhaps  would 
never  have  come  to  full  growth  had  she  been 
under  the  charge  of  your  own  dear  mother. 
You,  who  have  been  blessed  with  such  careful 
nurture,  ought  to  be  more  free  from  faults  than 
you  are. 

"  Just  by  the  window  where  I  am  sitting,  a 
clematis  is  trained  over  a  lattice. .  Some  care 
ful  hand  has  trained  it ;  and  yet,  in  its  wild  lux 
uriance,  part  of  the  vine  trails  on  the  ground ; 
large  shoots  branch  out  boldly  from  the  lattice. 
It  is  not  a  well-behaved  plant,  growing  in  grace 
and  beauty,  as  it  ought ;  but,  alas,  like  my  own 
Louisa,  too  independent  of  control.  Away 
from  us,  and  unchecked  by  your  prudent  mo 
ther,  you  are  exhibiting  faults  that  we  never 
dreamed  could  spring  up  in  our  own  darling. 
Check  them  now  at  the  very  outset,  and  pray  to 
God  to  help  you. 

"  Beauty  is  a  fearful  gift — fearful  because  of 
the  harm  it  may  do  to  the  possessor,  and  for  the 
power  it  confers  of  doing  harm  to  others.  To 


116  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

the  Giver  we  are  responsible  for  every  'good 
and  perfect  gift.'  There  is  a  wonderful  power 
in  beauty,  and  no  one  would  willingly  relin 
quish  the  possession  of  it.  A  love  of  the  beau 
tiful  is  elevating  and  refining  to  the  whole  cha 
racter.  Without  it,  in  nature  and  art,  a  woman 
is  common-place,  and,  I  had  almost  said,  coarse, 
though  otherwise  endowed  with  most  brilliant 
talents. 

"  I  would  have  my  daughters  strong-minded, 
and  yet  delicately  feminine;  courageous,  but 
not  coarse ;  energetic,  but  not  pushing  and 
obtrusive ;  efficient  in  action,  but  knowing  and 
keeping  their  right  place ;  able  to  counsel,  but 
willing  to  obey ;  fit  to  command,  yet  willing  to 
serve.  I  would  have  them  particularly  careful 
to  maintain  what  is  due  to  their  own  sex,  and 
by  the  loveliness  and  excellence  of  their  char 
acters,  maintain  that  supremacy  over  the  other 
sex  which  was  granted  to  Eve  in  Eden;  but 
not,  alas  !  to  use  their  power  like  their  unfortu 
nate  alma  mater. 

"  God  bless  you,  my  darling. 

"PAUL  PERRIT." 


CHAPTEE  XII. 

ST.    GEOEGE   AND   THE   DKAGON. 

THE  three  friends  often  met  at  the  grotto,  at 
the  red  house,  and  at  Ivy  Cottage.  Patsy 
found  that  her  tasks  were  every  day  done,  for 
Esther  and  Louisa  were  ready  to  help  her  when 
she  was  in  a  hurry  in  consequence  of  having 
played  with  them. 

"  I  wonder  why  Mrs.  Gracy  has  no  flowers 
about  her  house,"  said  Louisa  to  Miss  Nancy,  as 
they  were  together  training  a  woodbine  over  a 
lattice  in  the  front  yard. 

"  Poor  woman !  she  has  no  time  to  cultivate 
flowers,"  replied  the  aunt. 

"  But  she  and  Patsy  would  find  time  if  they 
loved  flowers  as  we  do.  Patsy  finds  time  to 
study  Latin,  and  botany,  and  philosophy,  and 
arithmetic,  and  ever  so  many  other  things. 


118  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

Don't  you  think,  if  she  really  loved  beautiful 
things,  she  would  at  least  train  a  woodbine  or  a 
clematis  over  their  ugly  red  house  ?" 

"  Patsy  is  a  smart,  hard-working  girl ;  I  like 
her,"  said  Miss  Nancy  ;  "  she  is  not  ashamed  of 
being  a  country  girl." 

"  Neither  am  I  ashamed  of  being  a  city  girl. 
We  did  not  choose  the  places  where  we  were 
born,"  replied  Louisa,  with  spirit. 

Miss  Nancy  could  not  help  smiling. 

"Now,"  continued  Louisa,  "I  have  heard 
papa  talk  a  great  deal  about  cultivating  a  love 
of  the  beautiful ;  I  am  going  to  try  what  I  can 
do  for  Patsy,  and  you  must  help  me,  Aunt 
Nancy." 

"  I !     How  ?  pray  tell  me." 

"  By  sending  Patsy  a  bouquet  now  and  then. 
Why,  there  is  not  a  flower  to  be  seen  about  the 
house,  excepting  dandelions  and  daisies.  Sup 
pose  you  send  her  some  flower  roots  and  seeds." 

"  You  are  a  bold  child,  and  yet  I  like  you." 

"  Like  me  !  You  love  me,  you  know  you  do, 
aunty.  Now,  let  me  gather  a  nice  nosegay  for 
Patsy." 

"  It  is  like  drawing  out  my  very  teeth,  but  I 


ST.    GEORGE  AND  THE   DRAGON.  119 

can't  refuse  you.    Here,  take  my  scissors  and 
cut  off  the  flowers  carefully." 

"  And  just  give  me  one  root  of  woodbine  and 
three  or  four  rose  bushes  to  ornament  the  rough 
red  house." 

"  You  saucy  girl !"  was  Miss  Nancy's  reply ; 
and  yet  she  took  up  the  woodbine  and  the  rose 
bushes,  and  added  a  clematis  of  her  own  ac 
cord.  Louisa  tied  up  an  immense  bouquet  with 
a  blue  ribbon,  and  placed  the  roots  in  a  large 
basket. 

Miss  Nancy  was  still  among  her  flowers  in 
the  front  yard,  as  the  sisters  started  on  their 
way  to  Mrs.  Gracy's. 

"  Thank  you !  thank  you !  a  thousand  times," 
said  Louisa,  kissing  the  bouquet  and  waving  it 
towards  her. 

Miss  Nancy  beckoned  to  her  to  come  back, 
and  going  to  the  gate,  leaned  over  it,  and  whis 
pered  in  her  ear,  "  Tell  Mrs.  Gracy  the  boy  who 
drives  my  cows  to  pasture  every  morning,  can 
drive  hers  just  as  well  as  not.  There  is  plenty 
of  feed  in  my  meadow-lot.  Patsy  will  then 
have  time  to  cultivate  flowers." 

"  Thank  you  a  million  times.     You  are  kind, 


120  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

in  spite  of  yourself.  "When  I  come  back  I'll 
give  you  a  dozen  kisses." 

"Yes,  indeed,  Aunt  Nancy  is  very  kind  to 
us,"  said  Esther,  as  they  skipped  along.  "  When 
we  came  here  she  seemed  so  stern  and  forbid 
ding  I  was  afraid  of  her,  and  would  not  have 
believed  she  could  become  so  indulgent.  We 
were  of  all  things  not  to  pick  her  flowers.  Do 
you  know,  she  told  me  this  morning  I  might 
buy  a  bonnet  for  her  the  next  time  we  go  to  the 
village!" 

"  What !  is  she  really  going  to  give  up  that 
coal-scoop  bonnet?  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  in 
time  she  became  quite  like  other  folks." 

"  And  even  went  to  church,"  added  Esther. 

Thus  they  chatted  as  they  went  along  till 
they  came  in  sight  of  Mrs.  Gracy's  red  gate. 
A  stone  wall  separated  a  field  from  the  road  on 
which  they  were  walking. 

Suddenly  a  large  brown  dog  came  furiously 
towards  them,  followed  at  some  distance  by  men 
and  boys  armed  with  scythes  and  guns,  raising 
the  fearful  cry,  "  Mad  dog !  mad  dog !" 

"  Jump  over  the  wall,"  said  Esther,  snatching 
the  bouquet  from  Louisa,  and  throwing  it  over. 


ST.  GEOKGE  AND  THE  DKAvlON.      121 

She  then  took  the  basket  and  helped  her  sister 
to  clamber  over  the  wall.  When  Louisa  was 
safe,  Esther  attempted  to  follow,  but  catching 
one  foot  between  the  rough  stones,  the  other 
hung  dangling  in  the  air.  The  dog  seized  the 
foot  between  his  teeth  and  held  it  fast. 

Just  at  that  moment  a  young  man  sprang 
upon  the  wall  with  a  sharp  pitchfork  in  his 
hand.  Instantly  the  pitchfork  came  down  with 
such  force  on  the  dog's  neck,  that  his  teeth  loos 
ened  their  hold  on  Esther's  foot,  and  with  one 
bound  she  was  over  the  wall.  The.  young  man 
pressed  his  whole  weight  on  the  handle  of  the 
pitchfork,  and  held  the  struggling,  foaming  dog 
pinned  to  the  ground,  till  the  crowd  came  up 
and  with  a  shower  of  stones  despatched  him. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  darling  ?"  exclaimed  Louisa, 
in  agony  intense,  as  Esther  sank  down  on  the 
ground  pale  as  death. 

"  I  don't  know.  Pray  don't  touch  my  shoe, 
it  might  harm  you." 

But  Louisa,  without  heeding  this  generous 
caution,  untied  the  shoe  all  covered  with  froth, 
snatched  it  off,  and  then  drew  off  the  stocking. 
The  delicate  foot  was  red  from  the  severe  pres- 


122  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

sure  it  had  undergone  ;  but  well  was  it  for  the 
dear  girl  that  the  shoe  was  of  coarse,  tough 
leather  ;  the  teeth  of  the  mad  dog  had  not  pen 
etrated  to  the  flesh.  Louisa  sat  down  beside 
her  sister,  threw  her  arms  around  her  neck,  and 
began  to  cry  vehemently. 

"My  dear  sister,  let  us  thank  God  that  we 
are  safe,"  whispered  Esther. 

"  And  you  risked  your  life  for  mine  !"  sobbed 
out  the  weeping  girl. 

The  young  man  now  sprang  lightly  over  the 
wall,  and  stood  beside  them.  He  was  in  his 
shirt  sleeves  —  that  is,  while  at  work  in  the  field 
he  had  thrown  aside  his  coat  and  waistcoat,  and 
his  slender  person  in  its  homely  guise  looked 
even  taller  than  usual,  but  neither  awkward  nor 


"I  am  afraid  you  are  badly  bitten,  Miss," 
said  he  to  Louisa.  "  I  will  run  and  call  my 
mother." 

"  No,  no  !  I  am  not  hurt  ;  the  horrid  dog 
seized  dear  Esther's  foot,  not  mine,  and  I  am 
crying  for  joy." 

"  Joy  because  it  was  your  sister's  foot  instead 
of  your  own  !  How  selfish  !"  thought  he  ;  then 


ST.    GEORGE   AND   THE   DRAGON.  123 

turning  quickly  to  Esther,  he  said,  "Let  me 
assist  you;  we  must  hurry  to  the  house  in 
stantly." 

"Thank  you,  I  am  not  hurt;  that  is  what 
makes  Louisa  cry.  There  comes  Mrs.  Gracy, 
followed  by  Patsy." 

"  Hamilton,  are  you  safe  ?"  was  Mrs.  Gracy's 
first  inquiry. 

"  All  safe !"  he  replied,  pointing  over  the 
wall,  where  the  dog  still  lay,  surrounded  by  a 
gazing  crowd  of  men  and  boys. 

"  Esther  was  the  one  most  in  danger.  Just 
look  at  that  shoe  covered  with  foam  from  the 
dog's  horrid  mouth,"  said  Louisa,  and  then  she 
took  off  both  her  own  shoes. 

Mrs.  Gracy  shuddered,  and  looked  at  Esther 
as  if  she  thought  she  would  go  mad  that  in 
stant.  "  Oh,  something  must  be  done  immedi 
ately,"  she  exclaimed,  taking  hold  of  Esther's 
arm ;  "  let  me  help  you  into  the  house." 

"  I  am  not  hurt ;  yet  my  heart  beats  so  vio 
lently  I  can  scarcely  breathe,"  Esther  replied, 
endeavoring  to  rise. 

"  Put  on  one  of  my  shoes,"  said  Louisa.  "  See, 
she  has  held  on  to  the  basket  all  this  time." 


124:  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

Sure  enough,  Esther  had  kept  hold  of  it ;  and 
Louisa's  feelings,  always  quick  as  lightning, 
were  now  changed  from  grief  and  terror  to  ex 
cessive  mirth.  She  danced  about  like  a  wild 
creature,  tossing  her  shoes  up  in  the  air  and 
catching  them  as  they  fell,  and  performing  other 
antics  more  extraordinary  than  graceful. 

"And  where  is  the  bouquet  which  came 
bounding  over  the  wall  and  drew  my  attention 
to  you  ?"  asked  Hamilton  Gracy. 

"  Here  it  is,"  said  Patsy,  who  had  not  before 
spoken  a  word.  "I,  too,  can  hardly  breathe. 
I  was  on  the  top  of  the  hill  opposite,  when  I 
saw  our  Hamilton  standing  on  the  wall  with  a 
pitchfork,  pinning  the  horrid  dog  to  the  ground, 
looking  for  all  the  world  just  like  the  picture  of 
St.  George  and  the  Dragon.  I  did  not  see  the 
girls." 

"  We  were  then  safely  on  the  other  side  of  the 
wall,"  responded  Esther.  "I  owe  my  life  to 
you,  fiir,  and  the  kind  Providence  that  brought 
you  to  my  aid." 

"  Come,  we  must  go  into  the  house,"  said 
Mrs.  Gracy,  placing  her  arm  round  Esther's 
waist. 


ST.   GEORGE  AND  THE  DKAGON.  125 

As  they  walked  on,  Louisa,  who  had  attempt 
ed  to  put  one  of  her  shoes  on  Esther  and  found 
it  too  small,  still  carried  them  in  her  hand,  and 
danced  round  the  rest  of  the  party.  Suddenly 
she  ran  to  Patsy,  and  kissing  her,  said,  "I  have 
come  to  cultivate  your  taste  for  the  beautiful." 

"  Beauty  of  motion?"  asked  Patsy,  roguishly. 

"  Now,  Patsy,  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  to 
make  fun  of  me.  I  have  brought  you  a  wood 
bine  and  a  clematis  to  train  over  the  front  door, 
and  rose  bushes  for  the  front  yard.  The  bou 
quet  you  may  place  where  you  please." 

"  Fairy  gifts,  worthy  of  Rosamia,  the  queen 
of  the  fairies,"  said  Hamilton  Gracy. 

"Ah,  now  you  are  mischievous,  Damon  or 
Pythias,  whichever  you  are ;  but  set  out  these 
vines  and  bushes  and  I  will  forgive  you,"  re 
plied  Louisa,  with  perfect  good  humor. 

Louisa  pointed  out  the  spots  where  they 
should  be  placed,  and  Hamilton  set  them  in 
the  ground.  The  bouquet  ornamented  the 
mantel-piece. 

After  partaking  of  cream  and  strawberries, 
the  visitors  started  for  Ivy  Cottage,  accompa 
nied  by  Patsy  and  her  brother. 


126  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

On  the  way,  Louisa  told  Patsy  of  her  aunt's 
offer  of  pasture  for  the  cow  in  the  meadow-lot, 
and  of  the  boy  to  drive  the  cow  and  the  sheep. 

"But  will  he  treat  Mincey  kindly?"  she 
asked,  with  much  anxiety. 

"  Of  course  he  will.  Aunt  Nancy  wouldn't 
trust  her  cows  with  him  if  he  did  not  drive 
them  carefully." 

"  You  know  Mincey  is  my  beloved  pet.  We 
have  reared  her  from  a  calf,  and  she  is  the 
sweetest,  dearest  little  cow  in  the  whole  world." 

Louisa  laughed  at  the  idea  of  a  pet  cow,  and 
Patsy  defended  her  taste,  saying,  "  I  don't  see 
why  a  pet  cow  is  not  as  pretty  and  nice  as  a  pet 
dog,  a  pet  horse,  or  a  pet  donkey." 

"  But  flowers,  Patsy,  lovely  flowers !  you  will 
have  time  to  attend  to  them,  and  I  will  help 
you  cultivate  a  taste  for  the  beautiful." 

"  And  I  will  cultivate  yours  for  the  useful." 

"  Very  well ;  it's  a  bargain,  Patsy  dear.  How 
came  your  brother  to  be  at  home  just  when  he 
was  most  wanted  ?" 

"  He  is  home  for  vacation,  and  takes  the  time 
to  aid  us  about  farming  and  gardening." 

"  Well,  we  must  show  him  our  museum,  with 


ST.    GEOKGE   AND   THE   DKAGON.  127 

its  specimens  to  illustrate  natural  history,  to 
prove  to  him  that  we,  too,  have  a  taste  for  the 
useful.  Here  is  the  place  to  turn  from  the 
road  and  take  the  walk  by  the  brook." 

Esther  and  young  Gracy  were  lagging  be 
hind.  He  had  offered  her  his  arm,  wishing  as 
he  did  so  that  he  had  put  on  his  coat.  She 
took  it  gladly,  for,  in  addition  to  her  exhaustion 
and  fatigue,  she  was  shuffling  along  in  one  of 
Patsy's  large  shoes.  She  declined  going  to  the 
grotto,  and  they  kept  the  road.  They  had  not 
gone  far  when  they  met  Mrs.  Maxwell  and  her 
daughter  driving  out  in  the  vehicle  which  Lou 
isa  called  the  shandrydan.  Gracy  saw  only  one 
object — the  beautiful  face  of  Bertha  Maxwell. 
The  yellow  boy  m  livery,  the  gray  mule,  the 
odd-looking  carriage,  passed  by,  and  he  saw  but 
that  beautiful  face. 

As  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight,  "Is  she 
not  perfectly  lovely  ?"  exclaimed  he,  drawing  a 
long  breath,  as  though  breath  itself  had  been 
suspended  while  he  gazed  at  the  beauty. 

"  ISTo,  she  is  not  lovely  at  all,"  replied  Patsy  ; 
"she  is  hateful." 

"  I  think  she  is  very  beautiful,"  said  Esther. 


128  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

"  But  very  disagreeable,  like  that  stramoni 
um  there,  with  its  delicate  lilac  flowers,"  re 
sponded  Louisa,  pointing  to  a  plant  by  the 
roadside. 

"  I  cannot  believe  it  possible  that  such  a 
countenance  as  Miss  Maxwell's  could  belong  to 
one  who  was  not  angelic  in  character.  She 
may  be  proud.  I  confess,  she  gave  me  a  con 
temptuous  glance,"  said  Gracy,  taking  the  old 
straw  hat  from  his  head  and  twirling  it  on  his 
hand.  "  No  doubt  I  appeared  to  her  like  a  very 
respectable  scarecrow." 

Esther  thought,  in  spite  of  the  hat  £  an'  a' 
that,'  he  was  a  fine  young  man,  with  his  hair 
somewhat  disarranged,  his  complexion  bronzed, 
and  his  hands  not  as  delicate  as  they  would 
have  been  had  he  been  playing  the  piano  in 
stead  of  pitching  hay. 

Patsy,  in  the  most  voluble  and  violent  man 
ner,  repeated  the  wrongs  her  friends  had  suffered 
from  Bertha.  Her  brother  shook  his  head 
doubtfully,  as  much  as  to  say,  "Impossible! 
It  must  have  been  some  one  else." 

As  they  approached  Ivy  Cottage,  old  Orpy 
hobbled  forward  to  meet  them.  "  Make  haste, 


ST.    GEOEGE   AND   THE   DRAGON.  129 

for  marcy's  sake,"  she  cried ;  "  Miss  Nancy  is 
taken  very  bad,  and  I  don't  know  what  to  do 
for  her." 

They  hastened  onward.  Esther  found  that  her 
aunt  had  been  violently  seized  with  cramps,  and 
was  suffering  intensely.  Without  asking  per 
mission  of  the  sufferer,  she  despatched  Gracy 
for  a  physician,  and  Patsy  ran  home  to  sum 
mon  her  mother. 

Miss  Nancy  was  still  in  great  distress  when 
they  both  arrived,  and  gladly  accepted  their 
services.  The  violence  of  the  attack  yielded  to 
medicine,  but  she  was  left  very  feeble.  Esther 
sat  up  with  her  all  night,  and  nursed  her  with 
tenderness  and  gentle  kindness. 

Ah,  how  many  times  that  night  did  the  grate 
ful  girl  thank  God  for  the  wonderful  escape  she 
had  had  from  the  very  jaws  of  the  infuriated 
dog.  Time  and  again,  as  she  sat  in  an  arm 
chair  beside  Miss  Nancy's  bed,  her  weary  eye 
lids  would  droop  for  a  moment,  and  then  she 
would  see  the  horrid  creature  rushing  towards 
her,  with  his  wide  red  mouth  open,  and  his 
great  fiery  eyes  glaring  upon  her ;  and  starting 
wide  awake  with  a  chill  of  horror  creeping  over 


130  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

her,  she  would  fall  on  her  knees  in  devout 
thanksgiving. 

Miss  Nancy  continued  ill  for  some  weeks. 
Mrs)  Gracy  came  often  to  see  her,  and  aided 
her  young  nurses  in  the  care  of  their  patient. 
Both  the  sisters  had  been  much  devoted  to  her, 
but  Esther  was  peculiarly  calculated  for  minis 
tering  to  the  sick  and  suffering.  Her  patience, 
quietness,  and  gentleness  were  united  with 
good  judgment  and  good  sense.  She  received 
the  physician's  orders  with  calm  attention,  and 
executed  them  with  scrupulous  fidelity. 

As  Miss  Nancy  grew  better,  her  heart  warmed 
more  and  more  towards  her  kind  nieces;  in 
deed,  she  loved  them  tenderly  ;  but,  moreover, 
there  was  a  higher  emotion  stirring  in  her 
heart,  gratitude  and  love  to  God. 

The  long- neglected  Bible  and  a  prayer-book 
were  now  placed  on  a  table  beside  her  bed,  and 
Esther  frequently  selected  portions  of  Scripture 
to  read  aloud,  and  then  with  Louisa  knelt  and 
performed  morning  and  evening  devotions  in 
that  sick  room. 


CHAPTER  XHL 

ESTHER'S   INFLUENCE. 

so  you  have  sat  in  the  clergyman's 
pew  ever  since  the  first  Sunday  you  went  to 
cnureh  here,"  remarked  Miss  Nancy  one  day, 
after  she  had  entirely  recovered  her  health. 

"  Yes ;  he  invited  us  to  sit  in  his  pew,  and 
there  is  room  for  you,  too,"  replied  Esther,  quite 
delighted. 

"  Eighteen  years  have  passed  since  I  have  put 
my  foot  inside  of  a  church-door ;  and  eighteen 
more  might  have  come  and  gone  in  the  same 
heathenish  way  with  me,  if  it  had  not  been  for 
your  influence,  Esther.  I  think  I  will  go  to 
church  next  Sunday  ;  but  you  and  Louisa  must 
do  some  shopping  for  me  in  the  village,  and 
buy  me  suitable  things  to  wear." 

Gladly  did  the  sisters  go  to  execute  their 
aunt's  commissions. 


132  BEAUTIFUL   BERTH  A. 

"  How  nice  Aunt  Nancy  will  look  in  a  fash 
ionable  straw  bonnet  trimmed  with  white  rib 
bon,  and  a  lavender  lawn  dress,5'  said  Louisa. 

"  And  the  white  erape  shawl  that  dear  papa 
Bont  her,  which  she  has  never  worn,"  added 
Esther. 

Just  as  they  reached  the  village  they  heard 
quick  footsteps  behind  them,  and  were  startled 
by  a  voice  which  they  had  heard  but  once  be 
fore,  saying,  "  Excuse  me,  young  ladies,  for  ad 
dressing  you;  I  have  a  message  for  you  from 
my  friend,  Hamilton  Gracy.  He  sails  for  Eu 
rope  in  a  few  days,  and  as  I  was  coming  home, 
he  requested  me  to  say  he  was  very  sorry  not  to 
have  seen  you  again  before  he  left  the  country." 

"  And  Mrs.  Gracy  and  Patsy,  do  they  know 
that  he  is  going  ?"  inquired  Louisa. 

"  Yes ;  they  went  to  the  city  this  morning  to 
take  leave  of  him.  A  gentleman  made  Gracy 
an  excellent  offer  to  accompany  his  son  as  tutor, 
to  make  the  tour  of  Europe ;  and  though  his 
college  course  was  not  completed,  he  consented 
to  go,  not  only  because  of  the  advantage  to 
himself,  but  because  he  could  thus  do  more  for 
his  mother  and  sister. — My  name  is  William 


ESTHER'S   INFLUENCE.  133 

Maxwell,  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  Giacy's 
most  intimate  friend." 

"  Damon  and  Pythias !"  whispered  Louisa. 

"  Violetta  and  Eosamia !"  Maxwell  said,  with 
a  smile  ;  and  then,  making  a  formal  polite  bow, 
he  bade  them  "  Good  morning,"  and  hastened 
onward. 

"  What  will  become  of  the  corn  and  beans, 
the  hay  and  the  turnips,  at  the  red  house,  with 
out  their  very  respectable  scarecrow?"  ex 
claimed  Louisa,  laughing. 

Esther  looked  very  seriously  at  her  sister,  and 
remarked,  "  You  surely  do  not  despise  Hamil 
ton  Gracy  because  he  was  raking  hay  without  a 
coat,  wore  coarse  boots  and  an  old  straw  hat. 
Don't  you  know  l  the  man's  the  man  for  a;  that, 
and  for  a'  that,'  as  Burns  says  ?" 

"  Yes ;  but  I  had  rather  see  him  well  dressed, 
neat  and  trim,  like  Maxwell." 

"  Yet  your  neat  and  trim  Maxwell  is  proud 
to  have  the  respectable  scarecrow  for  his  inti 
mate  friend.  ISTo  doubt  Gracy  holds  a  high 
standing  in  his  class." 

"  But  Maxwell  is  a  gentleman,"  continued 
Louisa. 


134:  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"So  is  Hamilton  Gracy — every  inch  a  gentle 
man,"  warmly  replied  Esther, 

"  Excepting  the  few  inches  of  elbow  which 
had  poked  themselves  through  his  shirtsleeves,'* 
retorted  Louisa,  giggling. 

"  Now,  my  dear  sister,  I  am  ashamed  of  you.5' 

"  You  need  not  be ;  I  am  a  lover  of  the  beau 
tiful." 

"Did  you  never  hear  of  such  a  thing  as 
moral  beauty  ?" 

"  Yes ;  and  I  see  it  before  me  now,"  sai</ 
Louisa,  looking  her  sister  lovingly  in  the  face. 

One  bonnet  after  another  was  tried  on.  This 
was  too  old — that  too  young;  but  at  length 
they  chose  a  plain  straw  trimmed  with  white 
ribbon. 

"  With  a  few  flowers  inside  this  will  do  nice 
]y,"  said  Louisa. 

"  No,  Louisa,  not  flowers  for  her;  they  would 
not  become  her  at  all." 

"  But  I  shall  buy  some  with  my  own  money, 
and  I  know  she  will  wear  them  to  please  me. 
Here  are  some  lilies  of  the  valley  mingled 
with  white  rose  buds  ;  put  them  in  the  bonnet,'1 
continued  Louisa  to  the  milliner.  "  They 


ESTHER'S   mFLUENCE.  135 

are  beautiful,  and  Aunt  Nancy  dearly  loves 
flowers." 

Miss  Nancy,  to  the  surprise  of  Esther,  ac 
cepted  Louisa's  gift,  and  wore  the  flowers. 

•3f  4f  X  -X-  *  #  * 

Poor  old  Orpy !  No  one  rejoiced  more  hear 
tily  than  she  did  when  Miss  Nancy  Perrit  ap 
peared  in  the  church  at  Sylvania  on  that  famous 
Sunday.  There  was  staring  among  young  and 
old  as  it  was  whispered  from  one  to  another  that 
the  queer  old  maid,  who  lived  at  Ivy  Cottage, 
had  actually  come  to  church  with  the  strangers 
who  sat  in  the  minister's  pew.  She  did  not 
look  odd ;  she  did  not  look  old ;  she  did  not 
look  ugly :  she  was  a  nice,  highly-respectable 
looking  person.  Mrs.  Maxwell  inquired  of  the 
sexton  as  she  passed  out  of  church  who  the  lady 
was  in  the  minister's  pew,  and  blushed  deeply 
when  he  answered,  "  Miss  Perrit." 

Miss  Nancy  saw  and  heard  none  of  these 
things.  She  trembled  as  she  walked  up  the 
aisle,  and  held  tightly  by  Esther's  arm ;  but 
after  the  services  commenced,  she  listened  with 
devout  attention,  and  united  in  the  worship  of 
God  with  a  sincere  and  earnest  heart. 


136  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

Mrs.  Gracy  and  Patsy  joined  Miss  Nancy  and 
her  nieces  on  the  way  home. 

"We  parted  with  Hamilton  with  keen  re 
gret,"  said  Mrs.  Gracy ;  "  and  yet  I  trust  it  was 
all  for  the  best.  Patsy  bore  it  bravely." 

Large  tears  streamed  down  Patsy's  face ;  she 
could  not  speak.  Her  brother  was  so  much 
to  her — play-fellow,  friend,  adviser,  protector, 
teacher. 

And  tears  of  sympathy  were  in  Esther's 
eyes,  for  had  he  not  saved  her  life  ! 

It  was  a  beautiful  evening  in  the  latter  part 
of  June.  Earth  had  put  on  her  most  glorious 
attire.  The  air  was  perfumed  with  the  mingled 
essence  of  hundreds  of  fresh  flowers,  and  the 
song  of  birds  and  the  hum  of  honey-laden  bees 
floated  upon  it.  The  friends  walked  slowly 
home  from  the  "  house  of  God,"  taking  sweet 
counsel  together.  A  holy,  happy  Sunday  was 
it  to  all. 

Three  little  months  had  effected  a  mighty 
change  in  the  solitary  misanthrope,  Miss  ISTancy 
Perrit.  The  affections  which  had  lain  dormant, 
or  been  lavished  upon  unresponsive  animals, 
had  been  called  out.  She  blessed  the  day 


ESTHER'S   ESTFLTJENCE.  137 

which  brought  the  sisters,  with  their  carpet 
bag,  to  the  gate  of  the  log-house,  which  they 
had  beautified  with  their  presence,  and  adorned 
with  the  name  of  Ivy  Cottage. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A2T  UNEXPECTED  YISITOE. 

Two  months  more  passed  rapidly  away2  and 
they  were  to  leave  Ivy  Cottage,  Esther  and  Lou 
isa,  who  had  given  such  a  charm  to  it. 

A  letter  from  Mr.  Perrit  summoned  them  to 
be  ready  to  take  their  departure  whenever  he 
should  come  for  them.  With  Patsy  they  went 
to  pay  a  farewell  visit  to  the  beloved  brook  and 
the  precious  grotto. 

The  brook,  which  in  the  spring  Louisa  had 
considered  quite  a  river,  was  now  so  shallow  in 
many  places,  that  she  could  cross  it  without 
going  over  shoes,  by  stepping  from  stone  to 
stone.  The  waterfall  was  a  scanty  rill,  just  one 
silvery  streak  in  the  midst  of  the  green  trees 
which  hung  over  and  around  it.  Yet  it  was 
Castalia  still  to  the  sisters,  who  loved  it  as  well 


AN   UNEXPECTED   VISITOR.  139 

as  their  father  did  before  them,  but  with  a  more 
romantic  affection. 

Patsy  could  scarcely  understand  their  senti 
mental  tears  as  they  bid  the  brook  farewell. 
To  her  it  was  a  nice  stream  for  Mincey  to  drink 
from  and  to  stand  in,  when  the  weather  was 
hot,  and  the  cow  chose  to  chew  the  cud  and 
meditate. 

The  grotto  with  its  museum  they  bequeathed 
to  Patsy.  There  they  had  of  late  collected 
shells  and  studied  conchology,  flowers  and  bot 
any,  beetles,  butterflies,  bees,  and  entomology. 

"You  must  keep  the  museum  in  order  till 
we  come  again,"  said  Louisa,  looking  at  the 
treasures  it  contained  .with  a  sorrowful  counte 
nance. 

"  I  will  carry  everything  there  is  here  to  our 
house,  and  keep  all  till  you  make  us  another 
visit." 

"  But  the  specimens  would  not  look  like  any 
thing  out  of  the  grotto.  They  are  only  beauti 
ful  here." 

"  The  snow  would  bury  them  all  up  in  win 
ter,  or  mischievous  boys  or  girls  might  steal 
them." 


140  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

"ISTever  inind;  I  would  rather  they  should 
be  left  as  they  are,  Patsy.  I  want  to  think  of 
the  fairy  grotto  when  I  am  away,  just  as  I  leave 
it." 

"  So  do  I,"  added  Esther. 

"Well,  you  are  very  queer  girls;  I  can't 
quite  understand  you,"  said  Patsy,  with  a  puz 
zled  expression  shading  her  honest  face. 

"I  confess  we  are  too  romantic,"  replied 
Esther;  "but  romance  will  wear  away  as  the 
realities  of  life  press  upon  us — at  least,  so  my 
mother  says,  and  I  have  never  known  her  to 
say  anything  that  was  not  wise  and  true." 

Of  late  they  had  not  met  Bertha  Maxwell  in 
their  rambles.  She  had  been  for  some  weeks 
absent  from  home  with  her  mother.  Just  as 
they  were  leaving  the  grotto,  Esther  exclaimed, 
"  There  comes  Beauty,  floating  along  like  a 
fairy-dove." 

Dressed  in  thin  white  muslin,  with  a  floating 
blue  sash,  and  blue  ribbons  on  her  white  chip 
hat,  she  came  tripping  along  the  path,  for  once 
alone. 

"  No  wonder  your  brother  calls  her  angelic," 
whispered  Esther  to  Patsy. 


AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR.  141 

Bertha  walked  directly  up  to  the  group,  and 
said,  "  Ma  and  I  have  been  to  Saratoga.  There 
we  met  the  Hon.  Paul  Perrit  and  his  lady. 
Who  would  ever  have  thought  you  girls  be 
longed  to  such  grand  people !  Ma  could  hardly 
believe  it,  especially  as  you  keep  company  with 
that  are  farm-girl." 

"Margaret  Gracy  is  the  sister  of  your 
brother's  most  intimate  friend,"  replied  Es- 
Uier, 

"More's  the  pity  for  our  Bill  for  choosing 
such  low  companions.  You  must  know,  girls, 
I  ran  away  from  ma  this  morning.  She  is 
dressed  to  kill,  and  you  see  I  have  on  my  very 
best.  She  determined  to  call  on  you  right 
away  after  we  got  home.  Our  carriage  stood 
before  the  door ;  but  when  I  thought  of  the 
splendiferous  coach  that  you  ride  in,  with  the 
grand  black  horses,  I  wouldn't  come  with  our 
shabby  concern,  and  a  poor,  miserable  gray 
mule.  So,  you  see,  I  ran  away,  and  thought  I 
might  find  you  here." 

"  What  is  the  girl  talking  about  ?"  inquired 
Patsy. 

"  I  suppose  she  has  seen  father  and  mother 


14:2  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

in  OUT  carriage,  that's  all,"  replied  Louisa,  with 
an  effort  to  appear  indifferent. 

"  So  I  did,  and  it  was  the  handsomest  turn 
out  at  Saratoga — £  not  dashing,  but  elegant,'  I 
heard  a  gentleman  say.  Only  think  of  ma's 
calling  you  servants!  She  is  so  ashamed  she 
don't  know  what  to  do,  and  she  is  going  to 
make  her  apology.  Good  enough  for  her.  I 
am  glad  to  have  her  eat  humble  pie  sometimes, 
she  is  so  fussy  proud." 

"  Do  you  say  that  of  your  own  mother  ?" 
asked  Patsy,  indignantly,  while  Esther  whis 
pered  to  Louisa : 

"What  will  poor  Aunt  Nancy  do  if  Mrs. 
Maxwell  calls  ?  "We  had  better  hurry  home." 

They  started  off,  accompanied  by  the 
beauty. 

"  I  might  have  had  nice  fun  with  you  if  we 
had  only  known  who  you  was,"  said  Bertha. 

The  girls  made  no  reply  ;  she  continued : 

"  You  would  be  astonished  to  see  how  every 
body  stared  at  me  at  Saratoga.  They  thought 
I  was  just  a  piece  of  wax-work.  I  could  hear 
people  in  the  street  and  everywhere  say,  f  How 
beautiful !'  It  is  not  strange  if  I  am  proud ; 


AN   UNEXPECTED   VISITOR. 

but  I  don't  know  what  ma  has  got  to  be  proud 
of  but  me." 

"  And  your  brother,"  remarked  Louisa. 

"  No ;  he  is  homely  as  a  horse's  head." 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  said  Louisa. 

"Ma  says  he  is.  She  don't  care  half  as 
much  for  Bill  as  she  does  for  me ;"  and  she 
tossed  her  pretty  head  with  a  silly  conscious  air. 

"  Perhaps  she  spent  her  spoiling  on  you,  and 
it  has  been  all  the  better  for  him,"  said  Patsy. 

"  "Who  are  you  to  talk  so  to  me  ?  I  don't  be 
lieve  you  ever  wore  anything  better  than  a  cali 
co  frock  since  you  was  born  ;  and  I  never  wear 
calico,  morning,  noon,  nor  night." 

44  Well,  your  soul's  made  of  calico  if  your 
body  is  silk.  I  would  rather  have  a  satin  soul 
in  a  calico  body,"  said  Patsy,  laughing. 

"  I  didn't  come  here  to  meet  you,  farm-girl. 
You'd  better  go  home  and  hoe  corn,  or  feed, 
your  cow,  than  to  be  here  with  your  betters." 

"  Please  to  be  more  polite  to  my  friend,"  said 
Esther,  reddening  with  anger,  while  Louisa  bit 
her  tongue  for  fear  she  should  say  something 
dreadful. 

As  they  came  in  sight  of  the  cottage,  sure 


14:4  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

enough  there  was  the  shandrydan  before  the 
door.  Orpy  was  leaning  over  the  gate,  scream 
ing  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  "  Miss  Nancy  won't 
see  you ;  Miss  Nancy  won't  see  you." 

Mrs.  Maxwell  fairly  yelled  in  return,  "  Tell 
Miss  Perrit  it  is  Mrs.  Maxwell  come  to  pay  her 
respects  to  her  and  the  young  ladies." 

Orpy  shook  her  head  fiercely,  repeating, 
"  Miss  Nancy  won't  see  you ;  sartain  sure  she 
won't." 

"  I  knew  she  wouldn't.  I  told  her  so  before 
we  started  from  home.  Come,  let's  hide  here," 
said  Bertha,  concealing  herself  behind  some  tall 
seringas  and  lilacs  in  the  front  yard. 

The  girls  followed  her  example,  glad  to  escape 
an  encounter.  Mrs.  Maxwell,  after  throwing 
her  card  to  Orpy,  drove  off. 

The  sisters  were  reluctantly  compelled  to  ad- 
rait  Bertha  to  the  parlor. 

"  What  a  little  bit  of  a  room !"  said  Bertha. 
"  How  odd  it  must  seem  to  you  who  have  lived 
in  such  a  grand  house." 

"It  seems  very  pleasant  to  us,"  replied 
Esther.  "  My  father  was  born  in  this  house." 

"  How  strange !    In  a  log  house !" 


AN   UNEXPECTED  VISITOK.  14:5 

"  There  was  once  a  better  man  than  he  born 
in  a  stable,"  said  Patsy. 

"  Was  there  ?  I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing," 
Bertha  replied,  looking  quite  bewildered. 

Esther,  feeling  that  the  allusion  was  too  sa 
cred  and  not  in  good  taste,  immediately  added, 
"  My  father  is  devotedly  attached  to  his  birth 
place.  You  ought  to  hear  with  what  enthusi 
asm  he  speaks  of  the  beautiful  scenery  about 
Sylvania,  and  all  the  haunts  of  his  boyhood." 

"  I  am  sure  I  never  should  speak  of  Sylvania 
if  I  lived  in  the  city.  I  hate  the  country." 

"  And  I  adore  it,"  exclaimed  Patsy. 

"  Shall  I  not  see  that  queer  woman,  your 
aunt?"  asked  Bertha. 

"  I  believe  she  is  engaged  ;  she  is  generally 
occupied  in  the  morning,"  said  Esther. 

"  Making  bread,  I  suppose." 

"Yes;  she  makes  excellent  bread.  Would 
you  like  some  ?" 

"  No ;  I  should  rather  have  some  cake." 

"  A  broad  hint,"  whispered  Patsy  to  Louisa. 

Esther  felt  compelled  to  take  the  hint,  and 
went  to  find  her  aunt.  She  hunted  all  over  and 

about  the  house  in  vain.    Then  she  thought  she 
10 


146  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

would  go  to  tlie  pantry  and  get  some  cake,  as 
Miss  JSTancy  had  told  them  always  to  help  them 
selves.  She  shook,  and  pulled,  and  rattled  at 
the  pantry  door  for  some  time,  and  found  it 
locked.  Pausing  a  moment,  she  heard  some 
one  saying  very  softly,  "  Who's  there  ?  *  What 
do  you  want  ?" 

"  It  is  I.  Is  it  you,  Aunt  Nancy  ?"  as  softly 
responded  Esther. 

"  Yes ;  I  would  not  see  those  Maxwells  in 
my  house  for  a  thousand  dollars." 

Esther  could  not  help  being  amused.  She 
went  back  to  the  parlor,  and  said,  "  I  beg  you 
will  excuse  me,  Miss  Maxwell,  the  pantry  is 
locked,  and  I  cannot  offer  you  a  lunch." 

"  That  stingy  old  maid,  I  dare  say,  locks  up 
everything  from  you.  I  don't  doubt  you  are 
half  starved." 

"  You  are  greatly  mistaken,  Miss,"  replied 
Louisa,  indignantly;  "she  gives  us  the  nicest 
and  best  of  sweet  country  fare,  and  we  have 
grown  so  plump  in  five  months  that  dear  father 
and  mother  will  hardly  know  us." 

"  I  ought  to  have  been  home  long  before  this 
time,"  said  Patsy.  "  Good  bye !  I  shall  see 


AN   UNEXPECTED   VISITOR.  147 

you  again  to-morrow.  You  have  promised  to 
come  and  take  tea  with  me." 

"  Yes ;  meet  us  half  way,"  said  Esther,  kiss 
ing  Patsy. 

"  Every  one  to  their  taste,  as  the  old  woman 
said  when  she  kissed  her  cow,"  muttered  Ber 
tha. 

Patsy  had  been  gone  but  a  moment  when  the 
others  were  startled  by  a  loud  rap  at  the  front 
door.  The  girls  all  ran  to  the  door.  It  was 
Mrs.  Maxwell's  yellow  coachman.  Mrs.  Max 
well  had  returned.  Seeing  Bertha,  she  ex 
claimed,  "Come  here,  you  naughty  thing! 
You  have  given  me  an  awful  fright.  You  said 
you  were  going  to  your  room  because  you  did 
not  feel  well  enough  to  make  a  call." 

"  So  I  did ;  but  I  didn't  say  I  was  going  to 
stay  in  my  room." 

"  Come  here,  you  hussey ;  you  have  been 
tramping  through  the  fields  and  over  the  rocks 
with  them  new  blue  kid  shoes  and  your  fine 
muslin  dress." 

Mrs.  Maxwell  in  her  anger  quite  forgot  the 
presence  of  the  daughters  of  the  Hon.  Paul 
Perrit ;  suddenly  it  came  to  her  mind :  "  I  beg 


14:8  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

your  pardon,  young  ladies,  my  Bertha  is  very- 
contrary  this  morning.  I  had  the  pleasure  to 
see  your  respected  father  and  mother  at  Sarato 
ga  lately,  and  I  have  left  my  card  for  your  aunt 
this  morning.  I  hope  we  shall  see  you  soon  at 
Linden  Hall." 

Esther  bowed,  but  Louisa  and  Bertha  laughed. 

"  Good  bye,  girls,"  said  the  beauty ;  "  I  have 
had  a  mighty  nice  time.  Don't  you  admire  our 
carriage?" 

So  saying  she  jumped  in,  and  they  drove  off. 

Poor  Miss  Nancy !  Glad  was  she  to  escape 
from  the  "  durance  vile  "  of  the  pantry. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MB.    PEKRIT'S   FANCY   SKETCH. 

THE  next  day  Esther  received  a  letter  from 
her  parents,  informing  her  that  before  returning 
to  the  city  they  were  to  go  to  Niagara.  As  they 
were  in  great  haste,  they  would  only  stop  at 
Ivy  Cottage  for  a  short  time,  and  Esther  and 
Louisa  must  be  ready  to  leave.  All  was  now 
hurry  and  bustle,  for  they  might  leave  that  very 
day. 

"  Niagara  !  glorious  Niagara !"  exclaimed 
Esther ;  "  how  kind  it  is  in  dear  mother  to  take 
us  with  her." 

"  I  would  rather  see  our  sweet  Castalia  any 
day,  than  great  Niagara,"  replied  Louisa,  with 
tears  in  her  eyes. 

Miss  Nancy  came  into  their  room  while  the 
girls  were  packing  their  trunks,  and  seating 


150  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

herself  on  the  side  of  the  bed,  covered  her  face 
with  her  hands,  and  waving  backwards  and 
forwards,  said  nothing,  but  now  and  then 
breathed  a  sigh,  which  was  almost  a  groan. 

"  Dear  Aunt  Nancy,"  said  Esther,  "  we  shall 
come  and  see  you  again.  We  are  to  take  no 
thing  away  but  our  trunks  ;  all  our  books  and 
country  clothing  we  are  to  leave.  Surely  papa 
intends  to  have  us  come  again  next  summer." 

"  But  the  long  winter." 

"  Oh,  I  will  send  you  a  parrot,  Aunt  Fancy," 
said  Louisa. 

She  meant  it  for  kindness ;  but  Miss  Nancy 
had  lost  her  love  for  parrots  since  she  had  felt 
the  sweeter  love  for  children.  The  offer  sound 
ed  cruel  to  her  sorrowing  heart,  and  she  sobbed 
aloud. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  come  and 
see  us,"  timidly  suggested  Esther.  "We  will 
do  all  in  our  power  to  make  you  happy." 

"  I  know  you  would,  my  dear  child ;  I  know 
you  would.  You  have  done  me  more  good 
since  you  have  been  here  than  I  can  tell.  If  I 
should  never  see  you  again  on  earth,  I  shall 
hope  to  meet  you  in  heaven." 


MK.   PEEKIT'S   FAUCY   SKETCH.  151 

The  sound  of  wheels  was  heard.  Esther  and 
Louisa  ran  to  the  window,  and  there  were  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Paul  Perrit  in  the  very  same  wagon 
that  brought  them  first  to  Ivy  Cottage. 

The  girls  were  soon  in  the  arms  of  their  pa 
rents.  Miss  Nancy  now,  instead  of  shrinking 
from  her  brother,  greeted  him  and  his  good  lit 
tle  wife  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  and  showed 
them  into  her  cosy  parlor. 

A  dear  little  woman  was  Mrs.  Perrit.  There 
was  a  calm  repose  in  her  manner,  and  her 
countenance  was  grave,  but  the  sweetest,  the 
most  human  of  smiles  gave  a  charm  to  it  more 
pleasing  than  perfect  beauty  of  feature. 

•"  These  girls  don't  look  much  like  fairies, 
sister,"  said  Mr.  Perrit.  "The  country  air 
and  your  wholesome  table  has  made  them 
as  chubby  as  cherubs  and  as  rosy  as  milk 
maids." 

"  Milk-maids !  That  reminds  me  of  our  milk 
maid  and  shepherdess,  Patsy  Gracy.  "We  are 
engaged  to  take  tea  with  her  this  afternoon," 
said  Louisa. 

"  You  can  keep  your  engagement,  for  we  do 
not  leave  till  early  to-morrow  morning — that  is, 


152  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

if  we  are  not  encroaching  on  your  hospitality, 
sister  ISTancy." 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  only  wisb  you  could  make  a 
longer  stay." 

The  change  in  Miss  fancy's  manner  was 
wonderful  and  delightful  to  her  brother.  The 
change  in  her  dress  was  equally  remarkable.  A 
neat,  becoming  cap  and  a  white  morning-dress 
made  her  look  ten  years  younger  than  she  did 
in  the  spring. 

Esther  proposed  that  they  should  pass  a  couple 
of  hours  at  Mrs.  Gracy's  and  return  to  tea,  and 
bring  Patsy  with  them.  To  this  arrangement 
Louisa  willingly  agreed. 

"  I  shall  go  with  you  to  Mrs.  Gracy's,"  said 
Mr.  Perrit,  as  his  daughters,  two  hours  after 
dinner,  were  ready  to  start.  "  I  looked  up  to 
Margaret  Hamilton  with  wonder  and  admira 
tion  when  I  was  a  boy.  She  was  a  rich  heiress, 
— a  bright,  particular  star.  Fortunate  for  me 
that  I  did  not  fall  in  love  with  her,"  said  he, 
casting  a  grateful  glance  at  his  little  wife. 
"We  must  go  by  the  grotto  and  the  brook, 
of  course — the  chosen  haunt  of  the  fairies  so 


MR.  FEEKIT'S  FANCY  SKETCH.  153 

beautiful,  and  the  inspiring  fountain  of  romance 
and  poetry." 

"Now,  papa,  indeed  you  are  laughing  at  us; 

we  will  not  take  you  there,"  said  Louisa. 

"  Then  I  shall  go  by  myself  after  I  have  left 
you  at  Mrs.  Gracy's,  and  perhaps  I  shall  be  in 
spired  to  write  a  poem  or  draw  a  picture.  Don't 
you  think  I  could  coax  Beauty  to  sit  long 
enough  on  her  favorite  rock  for  me  to  take  her 
portrait?" 

"  You  saw  Bertha  Maxwell  at  Saratoga ;  do 
you  not  think  her  very  beautiful?"  asked 
Esther. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  poor  thing !  She  was  taken  to 
be  exhibited  there,  just  as  old  Joyce  Heth  and 
the  rhinoceros  were,  only  the  spectators  were 
not  charged  twenty-five  cents  apiece.  Come, 
we  must  be  off.  I  shall  perhaps  introduce  the 
shepherdess  into  my  poem  or  picture." 

"  There,  papa,  do  you  see  that  woodbine  and 
that  wild  clematis  growing  over  the  small  porch 
before  that  ugly  red  house?"  asked  Louisa,  as 
they  approached  Mrs.  Gracy's.  "I  carried 
them  there,  and  Hamilton  Gracy  built  the  porch 
on  purpose  for  them." 


154:  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

"  Is  that  Mrs.  Gracy's  house  ?"  he  asked  with 
surprise.  "  What  a  change  for  Margaret  Ham 
ilton  1" 

Mrs.  Gracy  made  no  apologies  for  that 
change,  but  received  Mr.  Perrit  with  easy 
dignity.  Patsy,  too,  was  as  easy  and  as  unem 
barrassed  as  if  she  had  welcomed  her  friends  to 
a  palace. 

Mr.  Perrit  did  wander  by  Honey-pot  brook 
on  his  return,  and  amused  himself  not  a  little 
by  examining  the  contents  of  the  grotto  muse 
um.  "Time  well  spent  by  those  girls,  and 
highly  enjoyed,"  said  he.  He  was  inspired, 
perhaps  by  the  gentle  murmur  of  Castalia,  to 
draw  a  picture,*  though  beautiful  Bertha  was 
not  there  to  sit  for  her  likeness. 

When  Esther  and  Louisa  returned  to  Ivy 
Cottage,  they  brought  Patsy  with  them.  On 
their  way  they  overtook  Mr.  Perrit. 

"  Here  is  a  pencil-sketch,  partly  imaginary 
and  partly  true.  I  have  named  it  c  OUE  BOU 
QUET,'  "  said  he,  exhibiting  the  drawing. 

In  the  background  was  the  grotto  and  the 
rocky  banks  of  the  brook.     In  the  foreground 
*  Frontispiece.    See  page  81. 


ME.    PERRIT'S   FANCY   SKETCH.  155 

the  fight  for  the  bouquet  between  Louisa  and 
Bertha,  Esther  looking  on,  her  hands  held  up  in 
amazement.  In  one  corner  was  Patsy,  under  a 
tree,  wearing  a  shepherdess  hat,  and  holding  a 
crook  ornamented  with  flowers,  a  cow  and  two 
sheep  feeding  near  by. 

"Now,  papa,  that  is  not  at  all  like  the 
reality.  Where  is  the  German  maid?"  asked 
Louisa. 

"  She  has  not  come  in  sight  yet." 

"  And  the  shepherdess,  how  came  she  there  ?" 

"That  is  our  little  friend  Patsy.  Painters 
take  licenses  as  well  as  poets.  The  old  masters 
even  brought  in  their  own  likenesses  in  scenes 
from  the  Bible." 

"JSTobody  but  the  painters  would  recognize 
their  likenesses  if  they  did  not  look  more  like 
the  originals  than  that  does  like  me,"  said  Lou 
isa,  pettishly. 

"  You  don't  look  like  yourself  when  you  are 
angry,  my  child ;  and  you  perceive  even  beau 
tiful  Bertha  is  almost  ugly  when  she  fights  for 
OUR  BOUQUET." 

"  And  I  look  like  a  picture  on  a  French  fan," 
said  Patsy. 


156  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

"And  what  do  you  intend  to  do  with  the 
drawing  ?"  asked  Esther,  laughing. 

"Have  it  engraved  and  framed,  most  cer 
tainly.  But  here  we  are  at  Ivy  Cottage,  as 
your  romance  has  it." 

"Now,  papa,  I  hope  you  don't  dislike  ro 
mance,"  remarked  Esther. 

"  I  do  not  when  it  is  regulated  by  common 
sense,  and  without  dazzling  the  mental  vision, 
sheds  a  halo  round  sober  reality." 

"I  don't  quite  understand  you,  papa,"  said 
Louisa. 

"Neither  do  I,  at  all,"  added  Patsy. 

"  Well,  then,  put  the  remark  down  in  your 
note-books  for  future  consideration  and  the  re 
membering  of  after  years.  It  is  a  very  useful 
plan  thus  to  write  down  scraps  of  poetry  or 
prose,  marked,  'for future  consideration.''  '3 

They  found  Miss  Nancy's  bountiful  tea-table 
waiting  their  arrival. 

"No  wonder  I  have  a  pair  of  dumpling 
daughters  to  carry  away  from  Ivy  Cottage," 
Mr.  Perrit  playfully  remarked  as  he  surveyed 
the  loaded  table.  "Why,  sister,  you  have  la 
creme,  de  la  creme,  in  the  country." 


ME.    PEKKIT'S   FAJSTCY   SKETCH.  157 

"  Oh,  mamma,  you  must  taste  my  preserved 
strawberries.  I  gathered  them  and  made  them 
all  myself,"  said  Louisa. 

"  And  my  cake,  too,"  added  Esther. 

"  I  hope  your  knowledge  of  the  culinary  art 
is  not  confined  to  what  may  be  called  the  em 
broidery  or  fancy  work — sweetmeats  and  cake," 
replied  her  father. 

"  No,  indeed,  papa ;  Aunt  Nancy  has  taught 
us  to  make  bread,  biscuits,  cake,  custards,  pud 
dings,  pies,  pickles,  preserves, — to  bake,  to 
stew,  to  roast,  to  fry,  to  broil,  to  fricasse,  to 
boil, — and  to — to — make  soap  and  smoke  hams," 
rattled  Louisa,  quite  out  of  breath. 

"  What  an  array  of  accomplishments !  I  am 
exceedingly  obliged  to  her ;  but  have  you  actu 
ally  put  your  dainty  hands  in  dough  ?" 

"  I  have,"  replied  Esther ;  "  and  the  bread 
you  are  now  eating  will  prove  whether  I  am  a 
mere  amateur  performer." 

"  I,  being  a  connoisseur  in  the  matter,  pro 
nounce  you  a  capital  performer.  I  am  quite  as 
well  pleased  with  your  skill  in  bread-making 
as  I  was  with  your  splendid  execution  on  the 


158  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

piano  at  Madame  Le  Fevre's  school  concert ; 
and  the  butter  is  a  chef  d'ceuvre." 

"Ah,  papa,  I  wish  I  ever  could  tell  when 
you  are  jesting  and  when  you  are  in  earnest," 
exclaimed  Louisa,  while  Esther's  face  glowed 
with  pleasure.  "  The  butter  Patsy  brought  us ; 
she  churned  it  herself,"  continued  Louisa. 
"Isn't  it  elegant?" 

"  It  is  as  yellow  as  California  gold,  and  sweet 
and  rich  as  a  nut ;  but,  my  dear,  it  is  not  ele 
gant.  That  is  an  epithet  we  should  rarely  use. 
It  implies  the  added  grace  of  art  to  what  is 
beautiful.  A  lady  may  be  beautiful,  but  she  is 
not  elegant  unless  dressed  with  taste.  Her 
manners  may  be  pleasing,  but  not  elegant  un 
less  they  possess  grace  and  refinement.  A 
house  may  be  large,  expensive,  and  convenient, 
but  not  elegant  unless  art  has  decorated  it.  I 
think  I  have  heard  you  speak  of  elegant  chick 
ens,  an  elegant  cow,  and  now  of  elegant  but 
ter." 

"  You  are  rather  severe  on  poor  Louisa,"  said 
Mrs.  Perrit. 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  be ;  I  only  wish  her  to 
use  language  properly." 


ME.    PERRIT'S   FANCY    SKETCH.  159 

"  I  shall  be  afraid  to  open  my  lips  before  you, 
sir,"  said  Patsy. 

"  What !  you  who  study  Latin  and  under 
stand  all  the  ologies  !  You  know  what  elegan- 
tin  means,  and  would  not  send  your  butter  to 
market  labeled,  <  Elegant  butter  at  twenty  cents 
per  pound.' " 

"I  agree  with  Louisa;  I  don't  know,  sir, 
when  you  are  in  fun  and  when  you  are  in  ear 
nest,"  replied  Patsy. 

"In  sober  earnest,  I  admire  you  and  your 
golden  butter,  and  rejoice  that  you  have  found 
time  to  study  Latin  and  the  ologies  without  ne 
glecting  your  appropriate  duties." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  besides,  through  the  beau 
tiful  influence  of  Esther  and  Louisa,  the  utile 
cum  dulce  is  beginning  to  dawn  upon  my  pro 
saic  mind,"  replied  Patsy,  with  a  mischievous 
smile. 

So  anxious  were  the  sisters  that  Patsy  should 
make  a  favorable  impression  on  their  father  and 
mother,  that  their  lips  actually  and  involunta 
rily  moved  like  hers  with  every  word  she  ut 
tered. 

When  tea  was  over,  the  sisters,  attended  by 


160  BEAUTIFUL   BERTH  A. 

their  father,  walked  home  with  their  young 
friend,  and  bade  her  a  loving  "  Farewell." 

After  the  parting,  they  walked  on  in  sad 
silence  for  a  while. 

"  A  nice  girl  Patsy  Gracy  is — a  very  nice 
girl  indeed,"  said  Mr.  Perrit,  as  if  soliloquizing. 

The  sisters  were  quite  satisfied  with  this 
opinion. 

Early  next  morning  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perrit,  with 
their  daughters,  bade  adieu  to  Miss  Nancy. 
They  left  her  leaning  over  the  gate  with  a  sor 
rowful  countenance,  while  poor  old  Orpy  stood 
at  the  door  with  her  apron  to  her  weeping  eyes, 
sobbing  out,  "  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  hea 
ven  !" 

"We  must  now  bid  farewell  to  our  friends  the 
Perrits  for  a  long  time. 


CHAPTEE  XVI. 

A   SAD   FABEWELL. 

MKS.  MAXWELL  had  been  for  several  years 
keeping  up  appearances  on  very  small  means ; 
or,  to  be  more  plain,  she  endeavored  to  live  like 
a  rich  person  when  she  was  not  rich  at  all.  She 
had  been  exceedingly  extravagant  during  her 
married  life,  and  after  Mr.  Maxwell's  death  all 
his  property  went  to  pay  his  debts,  excepting 
what  the  law  allowed  to  his  widow.  She  still 
remained  at  Linden  Hall,  though  the  place  was 
far  too  expensive  for  her,  and  every  year  she 
found  herself  getting  deeper  and  deeper  in 
debt. 

When  "William  Maxwell  came  home  for  the 

fall  vacation  he  had  just  entered  the   Senior 

class  in  college,  and  expected  to  pass  another 

year  to  complete  his  collegiate  education.    Sad- 

11 


162  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

ly  disappointed  was  lie  when  his  mother  told 
him  she  could  not  possibly  afford  to  have  him 
return  to  college. 

"  But  what  am  I  to  do,  mother  ?"  he  anxious 
ly  demanded. 

"  Go  and  seek  your  fortune,  as  other  young 
men  do ;  I  have  maintained  you  long  enough," 
was  the  stern  reply. 

"William  was  not  his  mother's  favorite.  He 
had  not  a  friend  in  the  world,  excepting  Ham 
ilton  Gracy  and  a  few  other  young  class-mates. 

"Seek  my  fortune!  Where,  on  the  wide 
earth,  am  I  to  find  it  ?"  exclaimed  the  inexperi 
enced  boy  of  eighteen  years,  whose  life  had 
been  that  of  a  secluded  student — whose  whole 
ambition  had  been  to  be  distinguished  as  a 
scholar.  He  turned  to  Bertha  :  "  Have  you  no 
word  of  sympathy  to  offer  to  your  brother  ?" 

"  Sympathy !  ISTo !  I  am  sure,  if  I  was  a 
man,  I  should  like  of  all  things  to  go  and  seek 
my  fortune,  just  like  the  brave  fellows  in  story 
books." 

Poor  boy !  He  was  anything  but  brave  at 
that  moment.  His  throat  throbbed  with  intense 
emotion,  and  his  large  eyes  were  swimming  in 


A   SAD   FAREWELL.  163 

tears ;  but  he  choked  down  feeling,  and  proudly 
dashed  away  the  obtrusive  tears. 

"  When  shall  I  go,  mother?" 

"  The  sooner  the  better.  I  don't  know  what 
will  become  of  Bertha  and  me,  unless  you  can 
do  something  for  us." 

"  I  hope  you  have  enough  for  yourself  and 
Bertha,  if  you  have  not  for  me." 

"  No,  I  have  not.  We  must  give  up  Linden 
Hall." 

"  And  where  are  you  going  ?" 

"  I  shall  place  Bertha  in  a  fashionable  board 
ing-school  for  two  or  three  years,  to  complete 
her  education,  and  meantime  I  shall  take  cheap 
lodgings  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
school.  She  must  have  accomplishments,  and 
then  her  beauty  will  make  her  fortune." 

A  bitter  smile  passed  over  the  expressive 
countenance  of  William  Maxwell  as  he  said, 
"  Am  I  to  be  thrust  upon  the  world  without  a 
dollar  in  my  pocket  ?" 

"£To;  I  will  pack  up  all  your  clothes  for 
you,  and  give  you  ten  dollars ;  it  is  all  the 
ready  money  I  can  possibly  muster." 

"  Mother !"    It  was  all  the  boy  could  say  ; 


164:  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

he  turned,  flew  to  his  room,  and  locked  himself 
in  for  two  long  hours. 

In  anticipation  of  the  event,  Mrs.  Maxwell 
had  made  such  arrangements  as  she  deemed 
needful  for  her  son's  departure.  His  wardrobe 
was  not  very  extensive,  yet  his  clothing  was 
neat  and  respectable.  During  the  day  every 
needful  preparation  was  made,  and  in  the  eve 
ning  a  small  black  trunk  and  a  carpet-bag  were 
to  be  seen  in  the  front  entry  of  Linden  Hall. 

The  next  morning  the  carriage  with  the  gray 
mule  was  at  the  door,  to  take  William  Maxwell 
to  the  Sylvania  station. 

He  extended  his  hand  to  his  mother;  he 
could  not  speak. 

"  Good-bye,  "William ;  I  hope  you  will  do 
well  in  the  world.  Let  us  hear  from  you  ^ome- 
times." 

He  kissed  Bertha. 

"  Don't  cry,  Bill,"  said  she,  "  it  is  too  girlish. 
Why,  you  almost  make  me  cry,  too." 


CHAPTEE  XYIL 

THE   BEAUTY   AT   SCHOOL. 

PETTED,  unrestrained,  and  almost  idolized  by 
her  mother,  how  was  Bertha  Maxwell  to  accom 
modate  herself  to  the  equality  of  a  boarding- 
school  ! 

Mrs.  Maxwell  chose  a  fashionable  and  expen 
sive  school  for  her  daughter  in  the  city.  In 
order  to  do  this  with  her  small  means,  she 
boarded  with  a  very  plain  family  about  two 
miles  out  of  town,  and  every  Saturday  walked 
into  the  city  to  a  fashionable  hotel.  In  the  par 
lor  of  this  hotel  she  received  Bertha,  having 
made  an  arrangement  with  the  landlord  of  the 
Lamartine  House  for  this  purpose.  It  was  sup 
posed,  of  course,  by  the  companions  whom  Ber 
tha  frequently  brought  with  her,  that  Mrs.  Max 
well  was  living  at  the  Lamartine  House. 


166  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

The  school  girls  were  in  raptures  with  the 
new  scholar.  Beautiful ! — sweet ! — glorious ! — 
handsome ! — lovely ! —  splendid ! — magnificent ! 
They  exhausted  upon  her  their  vocabulary  of 
epithets  in  commendation  of  beauty. 

Her  rich  silk  dresses  (they  were  made  over 
out  of  her  mother's)  were  thought  not  quite 
fashionable ;  but  then  they  were  so  expensive, 
she  must  be  wealthy.  Her  whole  wardrobe 
was  more  expensive  than  had  ever  been  seen  be 
fore  at  Mrs.  Hoppington's  Seminary. 

These  were  great  recommendations  to  the 
favor  of  silly  girls,  and  yet  they  excited 
envy.  Bertha  must  be  very  kind  and  sweet  to 
gain  their  love,  in  spite  of  her  superior  advan 
tages. 

Her  teachers  soon  found  out  her  deplorable 
ignorance.  She  had  had  French  maids  and 
German  maids,  that  she  might  speak  French 
and  German.  She  had  caught  a  smattering  of 
each,  and  mingled  them  strangely  together. 
Moreover,  these  maids  had  been  uneducated 
persons,  who  spoke  their  own  language  ungram 
matically  and  pronounced  it  abominably,  so 
that  Bertha  had  to  unlearn  all  she  had  acquired 


THE   BEAUTY   AT   SCHOOL.  167 

of  them.  In  English  studies  she  was  behind 
even  the  youngest  scholars  in  school,  and  could 
hardly  utter  a  correct  sentence  in  her  own  lan 
guage. 

JSTot  a  week  had  passed  before  the  beauty 
was  pronounced  by  her  school-mates  proud  and 
disagreeable.  The  airs  she  assumed  were  in 
tolerable.  She  expected  from  her  room-mates 
entire  submission  to  her  will  in  everything.  As 
she  had  always  been  waited  upon,  and  never 
done  anything  for  herself,  her  companions  were 
frequently  called  upon :  "  Come  and  tie  my 
shoe,"  "Hook  my  dress,"  "Hand  me  my 
books." 

At  first  they  replied,  "  Ask  us,  if  you  please, 
instead  of  commanding  us ;"  but  soon  they 
said,  "  We  are  not  your  servants ;  we  did  not 
come  here  to  wait  on  you." 

She  became  home-sick,  and  begged  her  mo 
ther  to  take  her  home.  But  Mrs.  Maxwell  had 
given  up  Linden  Hall,  and  had  no  home.  Ber 
tha  must  stay  where  she  was.  For  the  first 
time  in  her  life  she  was  forced  to  submit  to 
what  was  exceedingly  against  her  own  will. 

After   some   severe   experience,  and   much 


168  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

pouting  and  crying,  Bertha  Maxwell  was  bro 
ken  in  and  obliged  to  conform  to  the  rules  ot 
the  school,  and  to  treat  her  companions  with 
civility.  Yet  she  was  no  favorite. 

After  a  while  her  silk  dresses  became  greasy 
and  shabby,  and  there  were  none  to  replace 
them.  Her  mother  denied  herself  every  luxury 
and  almost  every  comfort  in  order  to  pay  the 
large  school  bills  as  they  became  due. 

During  the  vacations  Bertha  was  with  her 
"in  the  country."  She  never  mentioned  at 
school  that  three  weeks  were  passed  under  the 
humble  roof  where  her  mother  boarded. 

Those  vacations  !  What  patching  and  darn 
ing,  what  washing  and  starching  and  dyeing 
and  furbishing  over,  to  make  Bertha's  clothing 
look  "  almost  as  well  as  new." 

The  Beauty  complained  bitterly  because  the 
girls  asked  if  her  things  were  to  last  forever ; 
they  wondered  why  she  never  had  anything 
fashionable. 

Poor,  mistaken  Mrs.  Maxwell!  "Would  she 
had  labored  and  spent  her  strength  for  better 
purposes.  Bertha  was  not  grateful  for  all  the 
Sacrifices  she  made  in  her  behalf. 


THE   BEAUTY   AT    SCHOOL.  169 

Nearly  two  years  had  thus  passed,  and  Bertha 
had  learned  to  play  on  the  piano  —  a  little; 
enough,  however,  to  give  pleasure  to  any  one. 
She  had  learned,  in  fact,  a  little  of  everything 
commonly  taught  at  fashionable  boarding-schools 
— and  to  dance  very  well.  She  had,  in  fact, 
learned  just  enough  of  her  various  studies,  to 
forget  them  with  perfect  ease.  All  this  time 
not  a  word  had  been  heard  from  "William  Max 
well,  since  the  day  he  left  Linden  Hall.  Did 
not  his  mother  think  sometimes  of  her  absent 
eon  ?  Often  ;  and  with  severe  reproaches  of 
conscience. 

*  *  *  *  * 

One  Saturday,  early  in  autumn,  Bertha  went 
as  usual  to  the  Lamartine  House  to  see  her  mo 
ther.  The  teacher,  who  was  out  with  a  number 
of  scholars,  left  her  there  for  an  hour,  to  call  for 
her  on  returning  from  a  walk. 

Mrs.  Maxwell  was  not  at  the  hotel  herself, 
but  there  was  a  note  from  her,  written  in  a  hand 
that  was  scarcely  legible,  saying  that  she  was 
ill,  but  begging  Bertha  not  to  be  alarmed  as  she 
hoped  soon  to  be  better.  Bertha  was  not  alarm 
ed,  but  thought  it  very  strange  that  her  mother 


170  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

should  have  written  such  a  very  careless,  scrawl 
ed  note. 

Alas !  Mrs.  Maxwell  had  hardly  strength  to 
write  at  all.  She  was  very  violently  attacked 
with  fever,  and  was  unwilling  Bertha  should 
be  exposed  to  it  by  coming  to  see  her. 

Another  week  passed,  and  Bertha,  who  was 
very  much  occupied  in  preparing  for  an  exhi 
bition  at  the  end  of  the  term,  scarcely  thought 
of  her  mother's  illness. 

She  went  the  next  Saturday  to  the  hotel, 
wishing  much  to  see  her  mother,  because  she 
must  have  a  new  dress  for  the  exhibition,  in 
which  she  was  to  play  a  conspicuous  part. 

Instead  of  finding  her  mother  at  the  Lamar- 
tine  House,  she  met  Mr.  Hamden,  the  man  with 
whom  Mrs.  Maxwell  boarded  ;  he  had  come  in 
a  wagon  to  take  her  to  her  mother. 

Bertha  was  now  exceedingly  alarmed;  she 
begged  the  man  to  take  her  immediately,  and 
she  would  send  an  excuse  afterwards  to  Mrs. 
Hoppington. 

He  placed  her  in  the  wagon,  and  drove  as 
rapidly  as  possible  till  he  reached  his  own  house. 

But  alas !  when  Bertha  arrived  Mrs.  Maxwell 


THE   BEAUTY   AT   SCHOOL.  171 

was  wandering,  and  she  did  not  know  the  idol 
ized  child  who  stood  by  her  bed-side. 

Poor  Bertha !  She  cried,  "  Mamma,  mamma ! 
it  is  your  own  darling !  Don't  you  see  me  ? " 

Then  the  thought  of  her  sudden  departure 
without  Mrs.  Hoppington's  knowledge,  and  as 
that  lady  supposed  Mrs.  Maxwell  was  a  lodger 
at  the  Lamartine  House,  how  was  she  to  unde 
ceive  her  ? 

"Oh  what  shall  I  do?  What  shall  I  do?" 
she  exclaimed,  again  and  again. 

"Haven't  you  some  friend  to  send  for?"  in 
quired  Mrs.  Hamden. 

"  JSTo,  I  cannot  think  of  one ;  but  I  must  send 
word  to  Mrs.  Hoppington  that  'ma  was  taken 
suddenly  ill  in  the  country,  and  I  was  obliged 
to  go  to  her." 

"  Not  suddenly  ;  the  poor  lady  has  been  ail 
ing  for  some  time,  though  she  was  careful  not 
to  let  you  know  it." 

"  Then  do  send  word  that  'ma  is  in  the  coun 
try  very  sick,  and  I  am  with  her." 

Mrs.  Hamden  promised  to  do  so,  but  before 
she  succeeded  there  had  been  great  alarm  at 
Mrs.  Hoppington's,  and  thousands  of  wild  con- 


172  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

jectures  as  to  what  had  become  of  Bertha. 
Their  exhibition  would  be  spoiled  without  the 
Beauty ! 

Mrs.  Maxwell,  in  the  ravings  of  fever,  called 
for  William,  and  implored  him  to  come  to  her. 

When  Bertha  attempted  to  speak  to  her  sliQ 
would  say,  "  Go  away  !  Go  away  !  I  don't 
know  you.  You  trouble  me.  Keep  out  of  my 
sight." 

Every  hour  the  poor  lady  grew  worse ;  the 
physician  said  there  was  no  hope  of  her  re 
covery. 

The  very  next  day  after  Bertha  arrived,  Mrs. 
Maxwell  died,  without  having  recognized  for  a 
moment  her  darling  child. 


CHAPTER  XVHL 

A  STJDDEN   CHANGE  OF   SCENE. 

IT  is  a  splendid  library.  Books  on  rich  cases 
of  oak.  Marble  statues  on  pedestals.  Busts  of 
the  wise  and  good  give  an  air  of  dignity  and 
repose  to  the  apartment.  A  bronze  chandelier 
is  suspended  over  a  richly  carved  oak  table, 
covered  with  green  cloth ;  the  gas  light  falls  on 
three  young  ladies  seated  at  the  table  with  books 
before  them,  over  which  they  studiously  bend 
their  heads. 

Two  years  and  some  months  have  produced 
a  change  in  the  appearance  of  those  three — • 
Esther  and  Louisa  Perrit,  and  their  friend  Mar 
garet  Gracy. 

All  have  grown  taller.  Esther,  a  slender, 
graceful  girl,  has  entered  her  seventeenth  year. 
Louisa  is  nearly  as  tall  as  her  sister.  Patsy  is 


174:  BEAUTIFUL    BEETIIA. 

neither  tall  nor  graceful,  and  none  of  them 
would  be  called  superlatively  beautiful,  and  yet 
one  might  seek  among  thousands  and  not  find 
faces  more  expressive  and  interesting  than  those 
three. 

There  is  sweet  pensiveness  in  Esther's  coun 
tenance,  and  deep  thoughtfulness  in  her  shaded 
eyes,  "Wells  of  thought,  in  which  the  star  of  truth 
is  shining,"  somebody  once  called  those  eyes. 

Wells  sometimes  reflect  the  stars,  and  truth 
is  said  to  be  hid  in  a  well — doubtless  he  who 
paid  the  compliment  saw  the  heavenly  soul 
beaming  through  those  eyes. 

Louisa's  face  is  as  arch  and  smiling  as  for 
merly;  but  more  intellectual  and  more  pleas 
ing.  Her  vivacity  is  not  subdued,  but  her 
temper  is — at  least,  it  is  under  tolerably  good 
control :  now  and  then  it  breaks  loose,  and  has 
the  mastery  over  her  for  a  brief  space. 

Patsy  is  plump  and  rosy — but  what  a  bright, 
sparkling  countenance !  Where  could  one  find 
a  happier  face  ? 

"  Have  you  learned  your  lesson  already, 
Patsy  ?  I  see  you  have  laid  aside  Whately  and 
taken  up  Scott,"  remarked  Louisa. 


A   SUDDEN   CHANGE   OF   SCENE.  175 

"  Yes ;  I  have  learned  rny  rhetoric  lesson  per 
fectly  and  now  am  indulging  myself  in  a  few 
pages  of  the  l  Lady  of  the  Lake.' " 

"  So  you  do  really  enjoy  poetry,"  said  Esther, 
looking  up  playfully,  from  the  book  she  was 
stud(ying. 

"  Indeed  I  do,  Esther ;  thanks  to  you." 

"  And  thanks  to  you,  Patsy  ;  I  have  over 
come  the  mountains  of  difficulty  in  Day's  Al 
gebra." 

And  how  came  Patsy  in  that  splendid  library  ? 
Mr.  Perrit  invited  her  to  pass  the  winter  in  his 
family,  and  go  to  school  with  his  daughters. 
Meantime,  Mrs.  Gracy,  having  left  the  care  of 
her  house  to  a  farmer  and  his  wife,  who  occupy 
it  for  the  winter,  has  gone  to  Ivy  Cottage  to  be 
with  Miss  Nancy. 

A  knock  at  the  library  door. 

"  Come  in." 

A  waiter  enters :  "  Miss  Perrit,  there  is  a 
gentleman  in  the  parlor  who  wishes  to  see  you 
and  Miss  Louisa." 

"  Did  he  not  send  up  his  name  ? " 

"  No,  Miss." 

"Esther  and  Louisa  wondering  much  who 


176  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

the  gentleman  could  be,  followed  to  the  parlor. 
A  tall,  young  gentleman,  with  dark  hair  and 
dark  whiskers,  bowed  politely  as  they  entered, 
and  simply  bade  them  "  Good  evening." 

"  My  father  and  mother  are  not  at  home," 
said  Esther,  thinking  the  stranger  must  have 
called  to  see  them. 

"Violetta  and  Rosamia  have  forgotten  the 
Damon  of  Castalia." 

"  Hamilton  Gracy !  St.  George  and  the  Dra 
gon  ! "  exclaimed  Louisa,  recalling  at  once  the 
mad-dog  scene  and  Patsy's  comparison. 

"  The  very  same,"  he  replied  laughing,  "  or 
if  you  please,  the  respectable  scare-crow." 

"I'll  run  and  call  Patsy,"  said  Louisa,  scam 
pering  out  of  the  room. 

"  Patsy !     Is  my  sister  here,  Miss  Perrit  ?  " 

"  She  is  ;  did  you  not  know  it  ?  " 

"  I  did  not ;  I  arrived  in  the  steamer  from 
Europe  to-day,  and  have  not  heard  from  my 
mother  and  sister  for  a  long  time.  I  am  half 
afraid  to  ask  for  my  mother." 

"  She  is  well — but  here  comes  Patsy." 

"  Do  you  know  this  person  ? "  said  Louisa  ; 
"  He  claims  to  be  an  old  acquaintance." 


A   SUDDEN   CHANGE   OF   SCENE.  177 

Patsy  looked  doubtfully  at  her  brother  for  a 
moment,  then  ran  to  him,  seized  his  arm,  and 
burst  into  tears  and  shrieks  of  joy.  He  led  her 
to  a  sofa,  and  hastily  brushed  the  tears  from  his 
own  eyes. 

"  ~Now  tell  us  how  you  are,  and  where  you 
came  from,  and  how  you  happened  to  be  here," 
said  Patsy. 

"  I  was  at  Gottingen  when  you  heard  from 
me ;  that  is,  if  you  received  my  last  letter." 

"  We  did  ;  and  despaired  of  seeing  you  soon, 
you  were  then  so  charmed  with  that  German 
University." 

"  After  travelling  over  Europe  and  exploring 
Egypt,  I  went  with  my  friend  and  pupil,  for  he 
was  both  to  me,  to  Gottingen,  where  we  passed 
a  year.  I  then  thought  it  was  better  for  us  to 
return  home,  lest  we  should  become  too  Ger 
manized  for  good  and  true  American  citizens. 
"We  passed  a  short  time  in  England  and  Scot 
land  on  our  return ;  and  here  I  am,  thank  God, 
once  more  in  my  own  beloved  country.  My 
mother,  Miss  Perrit  says,  is  well.  I  shall  go 
directly  to  Sylvania." 

"  What,  to-morrow ! "  exclaimed  Patsy. 


178  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"  Yes  ;  to-morrow.     Will  you  go  with  me  ?  " 
"  I  cannot  leave  school — I  am  going  on  with 

my  studies  here,  to  fit  myself  for  a  teacher." 
"  Indeed !     You  are  a  brave  girl." 
Esther  and  Louisa  soon  withdrew,  leaving  the 

happy  brother  and  sister  to  enjoy  a  tete-a-tete. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

IVY   COTTAGE   FIRESIDE. 

THAI  b<*:ne  evening,  it  was  dark  and  stormy 
in  the  country.  Miss  Nancy  and  her  friend, 
Mrs.  Gracy,  were  seated  before  a  blazing  wood 
fire  at  Ivy  Cottage.  A  small,  round  table  was 
between  them — OD  which  were  two  candles  (of 
Miss  Nancy's  own  making)  in  bright  brass  can 
dlesticks. 

Miss  Nancy  was  knitting  "  a  tidy"  for  an  arm 
chair,  Mrs.  Gracy  reading  aloud  from  Dwight's 
"  Germany."  Of  course  Germany  has  great  at 
tractions  for  her  while  her  only  son  resides  there, 
and  Miss  Nancy  sympathizes  with  her  in  all  her 
cares  and  interests. 

A  large  Maltese  cat  stretches  its  full  length  on 
the  rug  before  the  fire,  looking  the  very  picture 
of  a  petted  favorite. 


180  BEAUTIFUL   EEETHA. 

"  Stop  a  moment ;  I  thought  I  heard  a  knock 
at  the  front  door,"  said  Miss  Nancy. 

A  single  faint,  timid  rap  was  heard. 

"  Who  can  it  be,  this  stormy  night  ? "  said 
Mrs.  Gracy,  snatching  up  the  candle  and  going 
to  the  door.  The  instant  she  opened  it  a  gust 
blew  out  the  light,  but  not  before  a  glance  had 
shown  her  that  it  was  a  woman. 

"  Come  in  out  of  the  storm,  whoever  you  are," 
she  exclaimed,  holding  the  door  wide  open. 

Slowly  the  person  stepped  in,  and  Mrs.  Gracy 
closed  the  door. 

"  "Wipe  your  feet  on  the  mat,  and  then  come 
this  way,"  Mrs.  Gracy  continued,  as  she  opened 
the  door  of  the  little  parlor. 

The  stranger  remained  standing  in  the  small 
entry  without  speaking  a  word. 

Mrs.  Gracy  relighted  the  candle  and  returned 
to  the  entry.  Miss  Nancy  followed. 

A  slight,  stooping  figure,  dressed  in  black, 
was  leaning  on  the  post  at  the  foot  of  the  stair 
case  ;  the  face  was  completely  hidden  by  a  bon 
net.  On  her  arm  was  a  small,  black  travelling  bag. 

"  Who,  and  what  are  you  ? "  demanded  Miss 
Nancy,  somewhat  abruptly. 


IVY   COTTAGE   FIRESIDE.  181 

A  sob,  almost  a  groan,  was  the  only  reply. 

"  Come  in  by  the  fire,"  said  Miss  Nancy ; 
"  you  must  be  almost  frozen." 

Mrs.  Gracy  took  the  stranger  by  the  arm,  led 
her  in  almost  by  force,  and  seated  her  on  a 
chair,  near  the  fire. 

She  continued  to  weep  aloud. 

"  Your  feet  must  be  very  cold,"  Mrs.  Gracy 
said,  as  she  observed  a  pair  of  small,  thin  shoes, 
much  worn  ;  "  let  me  rub  them." 

As  she  took  the  shoes  from  the  small,  delicate 
feet,  partially  covered  by  silk  stockings  full  of 
holes,  she  chafed  them  in  her  warm  hands,  and 
then  shook  her  head,  mournfully. 

Miss  Nancy  meantime  went  to  the  kitchen 
and  put  the  tea-kettle  on  to  make  a  cup  of  hot 
tea. 

"  Take  off  your  bonnet ;  it  is  too  stormy  for 
you  to  go  farther  to  night,"  continued  Mrs. 
Gracy. 

"  Oh !  I  can't  take  off  my  bonnet ;  I  am  not 
fit  to  be  seen,"  sobbed  out  the  stranger. 

"  Never  mind  that ;  it  would  be  cruel  to  allow 
a  dog  to  be  out  in  such  a  night  as  this,"  thought 
kind  Mrs.  Gracy  as  she  untied  the  black  bonnet. 


182  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

With  some  reluctance  the  stranger  allowed  the 
bonnet  to  be  removed.  Mrs.  Gracy  started  as 
she  saw  a  deathly  pale  young  face,  and  a  head 
from  which  the  hair  had  all  been  shaven. 

"It  must  be  a  lunatic,"  thought  she,  shud 
dering. 

Miss  Nancy  now  entered,  and  the  same 
thought  passed  through  her  mind. 

"You  don't  know  me,  Miss  Nancy  Perrit," 
whispered  the  stranger,  trembling  like  a  leaf  in 
the  autumn  wind. 

"  No ;  poor  young  creature,  I  never  saw  you 
before." 

"  You  have  seen  me  at  church — I  am  Bertha 
Maxwell." 

"  Bertha  Maxwell !     Beautiful  Bertha ! " 

"They  used  to  call  me  beautiful,"  she  at 
tempted  to  say,  but  the  words  died  on  her  half- 
frozen  lips  and  chattering  teeth. 

"  Poor  child !  You  shall  have  some  hot  tea 
soon,  and  then  perhaps  you  will  tell  me  how 
you  happened  to  come  here  to  me — to  me" 
Miss  Nancy  repeated  the  last  words  with  start 
ling  emphasis. 

"I  know  I  poisoned  your  parrot,  and  was 


IVY  COTTAGE   FLRESIDE.  183 

very  rude  to  your  nieces ;  but  I  had  nowhere 
else  to  go,"  said  Bertha,  bursting  into  violent 
weeping. 

"His  child  coming  to  me  ?  Mysterious  Pro 
vidence  !  In  mourning,  too !  Can  it  be  that 
the  woman  is  dead  ? "  said  Miss  Nancy  to  her 
self,  as  she  left  the  room. 

Soon  she  returned  with  a  tray,  on  which  wrere 
a  smoking  cup  of  tea,  bread  and  butter,  and 
boiled  eggs. 

Placing  the  tray  on  the  small,  round  table, 
she  moved  it  close  to  Bertha,  and  begged  her  to 
help  herself. 

The  shivering  girl  swallowed  the  tea,  but 
could  not  eat  a  morsel.  The  warmth  was  re 
viving. 

"You  dont  know  that  my  mother  is  dead, 
and  perhaps  my  brother  is  dead  too,"  said  she, 
with  a  violent  effort. 

"  We  will  not  trouble  you  to  tell  us  any  more 
about  your  misfortunes  to-night,"  said  Mrs. 
Gracy,  tenderly,  her  eyes  overflowing  with 
tears. 

Miss  Nancy,  who  never  forgot  what  was  need 
ful  for  the  comfort  of  the  body,  added,  "  No 


184  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

indeed,  we  will  not.  Orpy  shall  make  a  fire  in 
your  room  and  warm  your  bed,  and  in  the  morn 
ing  I  hope  you  will  feel  a  great  deal  better." 

Miss  Nancy  not  only  showed  Bertha  to  her 
room,  but  helped  her  to  undress,  and  tucked  the 
bed-covering  in  all  around,  as  snug  and  closely 
as  the  upper  crust  of  one  of  her  apple  pies. 

The  candles  burnt  out ;  the  clock  warned  them 
the  lateness  of  the  hour,  and  still  Miss  ^Nancy 
and  Mrs.  Gracy  were  sitting  by  the  smouldering 
fire,  talking  of  things  past,  present,  and  to  come0 


CHAPTEK  XX. 

WHO   COMES   NOW? 

THE  next  morning  Bertha  felt  unable  to  come 
down  stairs,  and  Miss  JSTancy  sent  up  her  break 
fast.  Oipy  set  down  the  tray,  stared  at  Bertha 
a  moment,  and  then  lifting  up  her  hands  and 
eyes,  muttered,  "Pride  goeth  before  destruc 
tion,  and  a  haughty  spirit  before  a  fall." 

Soon  after  Orpy  left  the  room  Mrs.  Gracy 
went  in  and  found  Bertha  earnestly  regarding 
herself  in  a  small  looking-glass,  which  hung  over 
the  old-fashioned  toilet-table. 

The  beautiful  curls,  once  so  ornamental,  were 
gone,  and  the  short,  bristly  covering  which  re 
mained  stood  out  "  like  quills  upon  the  fretful 
porcupine ;"  her  eyes  were  red  and  swollen,  her 
complexion  sallow  and  mottled — in  short  she 
was  a  complete  fright. 


186  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

She  was  repeating  in  a  bitter  tone  the  passage 
from  Scripture  which  Orpy,  half  unconsciously, 
had  dropped  from  her  lips. — "  Pride  goeth  be 
fore  destruction,  and  a  haughty  spirit  before  a 
fall." 

"  What  a  horrid  creature !  Poor  'ma  would 
not  have  known  me ;"  and  Bertha  covered  her 
face  with  her  hands,  and  threw  herself  on  the 
bed,  weeping  convulsively. 

"  Excuse  me,"  said  Mrs.  Gracy,  whose  pre 
sence  Bertha  had  not  before  noticed;  "I  came 
to  see  if  I  could  be  of  any  service  to  you." 

"  Nobody  can  do  me  any  good.  O,  I  am  so 
miserable ! " 

"  Poor  child !  don't  agitate  yourself;  you  have 
been  very  ill." 

"  I  have ;  who  told  you  so  ? " 

"  I  judge  so  from  your  appearance ;  I  hope 
you  will  soon  be  better." 

"  I  shall  never  be  beautiful  Bertha  again." 

"  Never  mind  that,  if  you  recover  your  health. 
Where  were  you  during  your  illness  ? " 

"  At  Mr.  Hamden's.  I  have  been  dreadfully 
ill.  'Ma  died,  you  know,  of  fever.  I  took  it 
from  her,  and  came  near  dying.  I  was  very 


WHO   COMES   NOW?  1ST 

sick  a  great  many  weeks.  Those  people  were 
poor,  plain  folks,  and  I  suppose  did  what  they 
could  for  us.  I  don't  think  they  meant  to  be 
hard  with  me,  but  they  sold  all  ma's  clothes 
and  almost  all  mine,  to  pay  the  doctor,  and  for 
the  funeral  and  nurses  and  medicine.  Only 
think,  Mrs.  Gracy,  I  have  now  nothing  in  the 
world  but  the  few  things  I  brought  with  me." 

Bertha  seeming  much  exhausted,  Mrs.  Gracy 
begged  her  to  keep  quiet,  but  Miss  Nancy  now 
coming  in,  she  continued,  "  How  can  you  and 
Miss  Nancy  Perrit  be  so  kind  to  me  ?  I  must 
tell  you  how  I  came  here.  I  thought  if  I  could 
only  get  to  Linden  Hall  it  would  seem  like 
home — for  I  was  so  home-sick.  I  begged  Mr. 
Hamden  to  let  me  have  just  money  enough  to 
get  here,  and  I  would  leave  my  dear  little  watch 
with  him  till  I  could  pay  him.  He  said  we 
owed  him  more  than  the  watch  was  worth  al 
ready,  but  he  would  buy  me  decent  mourning 
and  give  me  money  enough  to  travel  to  Linden 
Hall.  He  did  so ;  but  when  I  got  here  the 
money  was  all  gone,  for  I  came  by  the  rail-road. 
Nobody  spoke  to  me  all  the  way.  I  walked 
to  Linden  Hall — cold  and  desolate  it  was.  I 


188  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

sat  down  on  the  front  steps  and  cried  a  long 
while.  I  did  not  know  anybody  in  this  neigh 
borhood.  'Ma  never  made  acquaintances  in  the 
country.  I  remembered  the  two  girls  who 
stayed  with  Miss  Nancy  Perrit  one  summer,  and 
thought  how  happy  they  always  were, — and 
what  a  sweet,  gentle  way  one  of  them  had.  I 
remembered,  too,  when  I  was  a  very  little  girl 
my  father  said  to  me,  as  we  passed  this  house 
— he  led  me  by  the  hand  I  remember,  and  he 
said,  <  Miss  Nancy  Perrit  lives  here ;  she  was 
once  a  very  dear  friend  of  mine.'  I  wonder 
how  I  ever  could  have  forgotten  it — somehow  I 
did  till  I  sat  on  those  cold  steps,  and  the  dark, 
stormy  night  was  coming  ;  and  then,  when 
I  thought  of  it,  I  said  to  myself,  perhaps  Miss 
Nancy  will  be  kind  to  me  for  the  sake  of  my 
father  who  has  been  so  long  dead  and  gone. 
I  knew  she  could  not  for  my  own  sake,  for  I 
poisoned  her  parrot.  Oh  dearj  I  have  not  a 
friend  in  the  world." 

The  tears  were  chasing  each  other  down  Miss 
Nancy's  face ;  she  could  not  speak. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  make  you  feel  so  badly,"  added 
Bertha  ;  "I  will  not  talk  to  you  any  more  now." 


WHO   COMES  NOW?  189 

"  Be  quiet,  then.  We  will  leave  yon  to  rest 
yourself  as  long  as  you  please,"  said  Mrs.  Gra 
cy,  tenderly. 

"  Oh,  I  must  say  how  sorry  I  am  that  I  was 
rude  to  Patsy  Gracy,  too ;  I  was  very  haughty. 
I  see  it  now." 

"  Patsy  would  most  heartily  forgive  you." 

Mrs.  Gracy  then  went  down  stairs  and  found 
some  lace  to  make  Bertha  a  cap,  to  cover  her 
frightful  head,  while  Miss  Nancy  went  to  her  own 
room  and  passed  the  rest  of  the  morning  alone. 

At  dinner-time  Bertha  still  pleaded  fatigue 
and  weariness  and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  stay 
in  her  room. 

Miss  Nancy  was  silent  and  thoughtful  at  din 
ner.  She  seemed  to  be  revolving  something  in 
her  mind,  which  at  last  shaped  itself  into  ex 
pression  :  "  Yes,  yes ;  I  must  teach  her  to  work, 
poor  thing,  that  she  may  be  able  to  support  her 
self." 

As  this  was  rather  thought  aloud  than  ad 
dressed  to  Mrs.  Gracy,  she  seemed  not  to  no 
tice  it. 

"  I  wonder  what  has  become  of  the  lad.  Do 
you  knowj  Mrs.  Gracy  ?" 


190  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"Who?  William  Maxwell  ?  I  haven't  heard 
a  word  of  him  since  he  suddenly  left  col- 
lege." 

"  Then  she  is  alone  in  the  world — William's 
daughter ! — a  poor,  helpless,  spoiled  child  !" 
And  Miss  Nancy  again  relapsed  into  silence. 

Bertha  was  allowed  to  remain  in  her  bed 
room  all  day.  It  was  the  same  room  Esther 
and  Louisa  had  occupied.  There  was  the  ward 
robe,  and  there  the  pretty  secretary  and  book 
case,  with  some  of  their  books  still  standing  on 
the  shelves.  Bertha  looked  them  over  with  in 
terest,  and  almost  for  the  first  time  in  her  life 
found  pleasure  in  reading. 

Mrs.  Gracy  and  Miss  Nancy  were  again 
seated  by  the  fire  for  one  of  their  usual  quiet 
evenings.  Dwight's  Germany  was  spread  open 
on  the  table.  Miss  Nancy,  instead  of  knitting, 
had  in  hand  a  piece  of  white  flannel,  making 
up  garments  for  somebody — she  did  not  say  for 
whom.  Without,  it  was  a  clear,'  cold  night ;  the 
stars  were  gleaming  brightly  in  the  dark  sky. 
Within,  too,  it  was  cheery  and  bright ;  the  fire 
sending  its  flickering  flames  up  the  wide  chim 
ney,  and  the  candles  (only  when  they  wanted 


WHO   COMES   NOW?  191 

snuffing)  giving  a  pleasant  light  to  the  little 
parlor. 

"Mercy!  there's  another  rapping  at  the 
door !"  exclaimed  Miss  Nancy,  starting  up. 

There  could  be  no  mistake  now.  The  old 
knocker  was  not  lifted  by  a  timid  hand.  Before 
Miss  Nancy  could  reach  the  door,  rap  !  rap ! 
rap !  it  went  again.  Mrs.  Gracy  followed  and 
stood  just  behind  her  as  she  cautiously  opened 
the  door. 

"  Who's  there  ?"  demanded  Miss  Nancy,  as 
she  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  man  full  six  feet  tall. 

"  Is  my  mother  here  ?"  was  the  reply. 

The  question  was  answered  by  Mrs.  Gracy 
springing  forward  and  clasping  the  stranger  to 
her  heart.  Oh,  the  unfathomable  depth  of  a 
mother's  love !  Such  joy  as  hers  found  no  ex 
pression  in  words. 

"  Come  in !  come  in  !  I  suppose  this  must  be 
the  loy  you  have  been  talking  about  all  win 
ter,"  said  Miss  Nancy,  holding  the  light  to  the 
young  man's  face  as  she  walked  backward  to 
the  parlor. 

"  Yes,  this  is  my  son  Hamilton,"  she  replied, 
proudly  surveying  him,  from  his  broad,  hand- 


192  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

some  forehead  to  his  polished  boot — from  top  to 
toe,  from  toe  to  top. 

Miss  Nancy  under  no  circumstances  forgot 
good  cheer,  and  soon  the  little  table,  well  filled 
with  it,  was  placed  before  the  traveler,  who 
was  ready  enough  to  appreciate  it.  Hundreds 
of  questions  were  to  be  asked  and  answered  be 
tween  mother  and  son,  and  Miss  Nancy  went  to 
stay  awhile  with  Bertha.  Hamilton  discussed 
his  coffee  and  several  other  matters. 

"  I  saw  Patsy  last  evening.  How  well  she' is 
looking,  and  how  her  manners  have  softened. 
The  elder  Miss  Perrit  must  have  had  a  happy 
influence  over  her.  Mother,  you  have  not  seen 
Miss  Esther  for  a  long  time.  She  is  perfectly 
lovely.  I  never  saw  a  more  beautiful  counte 
nance.  She  resembles .  the  famous  Dresden 
Madonna,  my  favorite  among  all  Raphael's 
Madonnas  ;  yet  she  has  more  sweetness — a  more 
angelic  expression  than  any  picture  I  have  seen 
abroad." 

"  Hamilton,  I  remember  you  raved  in  this 
way  about  Bertha  Maxwell's  beauty.  You 
called  her  angelic." 

"  Did  I  ?    It  was  a  boyish  fancy.     Hers  was 


WHO   COMES   NOW?  193 

a  different  kind  of  beauty — a  wax-doll  beauty — 
mere  color  and  form  ;  but,  by  the  way,  is  beau 
tiful  Bertha  still  at  Linden  Hall?" 

Mi's.  Gracy  was  embarrassed,  and  seemed  re 
luctant  to  reply. 

"  Is  she  dead  ?"  exclaimed  Hamilton. 

"  ~No ;  but  her  poor  mother  is  dead.  Bertha 
is  here." 

"  Here !  in  this  house  ?" 

"  In  this  very  house,  my  son." 

Mrs.  Gracy  drew  tears  from  the  eager  listener 
as  she  related  Bertha's  mournful  story. 

It  was  late  that  night  when  Hamilton  Gracy 
went  over  the  well-known  road  to  his  mother's 
house,  where  he  passed  the  night.  As  he  lifted 
his  eyes  to  the  glittering  stars  which  gemmed 
the  heavens,  he  thanked  the  Almighty  Creator 
for  the  kind  care  and  love  bestowed  on  one  so 
humble  and  insignificant  as  himself. 

The  next  day  Bertha  was  intending  to  come 
down  stairs ;  but  when  she  heard  that  Hamil 
ton  Gracy  was  there,  she  positively  refused,  and 
weeping,  said,  "He  was  my  brother's  dear 
friend.  Oh,  ask  him  if  he  knows  what  has  be 
come  of  William  Maxwell." 
13 


194:  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

Mrs.  Gracy  was  obliged  to  confess  that  her 
son  had  not  heard  from  his  classmate  since  he 
left  college. 

"  Oh,  such  a  horrid  fright  as  I  am !  I  would 
not  see  Mr.  Gracy  for  the  world,"  exclaimed 
poor  Bertha. 

"I  have  brought  you  a  cap,  Miss  Bertha,'1 
said  Mrs.  Gracy ;  "  perhaps,  as  you  have  not 
had  time  since  your  recent  illness  to  make  any 
for  yourself,  you  will  do  me  the  favor  to  wear  it." 

Mrs.  Gracy  was  extremely  polite  and  delicate 
in  her  manner  towards  the  poor  girl,  much 
more  so  than  she  would  have  been  to  the  beau 
tiful  Bertha  of  Linden  Hall. 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  wear  it,"  was  the  reply. 
"  I  asked  Mrs.  Hamden  to  buy  me  some  caps, 
but  she  did  not.  I  brought  but  few  things 
with  me.  Where  am  I  to  go,  Mrs.  Gracy  ?" 

"  I  don't  know.  Can  you  not  go  back  to  Mrs. 
Hoppington  as  an  assistant  teacher  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed.  She  did  not  come  to  see 
me,  and  was  very  angry  with  poor  ma.  When 
Mrs.  Hamden  went  there  for  my  things  she 
asked  her  that  very  question.  She  laughed, 
and  said  I  could  teach  nothing  but  dancing. 


WHO   COMES   NOW?  195 

Mrs.  Hamden  told  me  I  must  work  for  a  living 
as  she  does.  I  don't  know  how  to  do  one  use 
ful  thing.  It  would  kill  me  to  wash  and  iron, 
or  to  work  out  doors,  like  Patsy." 

"  You  must  get  quite  well  before  you  think 
of  these  matters,  my  poor  child,"  said  Mrs. 
Gracy,  taking  one  of  Bertha's  thin,  delicate 
hands,  and  thinking  how  utterly  impossible  it 
would  be  for  the  feeble  girl  yet  to  make  any 
exertion,  in  her  unselfishness  forgetting  that  her 
own  hands  had  once  been  equally  delicate. 

•  Hamilton  Gracy  remained  at  home  only  one 
day  ;  a  part  of  it  he  passed  in  solitary  musing 
by  the  grotto  and  the  brook-side,  and  there 
formed  resolutions  which  he  religiously  kept  in 
after  years. 

His  liberal  allowance  to  his  mother  and  sis 
ter  had  enabled  them  to  transform  the  ugly  red 
house  to  a  neat  white  one,  with  honeysuckles, 
roses,  and  woodbines  climbing  about  it.  The 
old  red  gate  had  been  displaced  by  a  handsome 
white  one,  with  stone  posts,  over  which  ivy  was 
growing  luxuriantly,  transplanted  from  the 
parent  vine  at  Ivy  Cottage.  The  farm,  too,  was 
in  fine  order. 


196  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

Hamilton  dined  at  Miss  Nancy's,  but  Bertha 
did  not  come  down  stairs.  Little  thought  she, 
when  she  took  a  peep  at  him  between  the  dirn- 
ity  curtains  of  her  window,  as  he  was  coming 
through  the  gate,  what  a  shock,  a  shudder  of 
horror,  she  gave  him.  It  was  but  a  glance,  yet 
it  revealed  that  emaciated  visage,  with  the  eyes 
starting  from  the  head,  the  lips,  once  so  red  and 
full,  thin  and  blue,  the  sallow  cheeks,  the  shaven 
head. 

"  And  what  are  your-plans  for  the  future,  my 
son  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Gracy. 

Hamilton  told  her  that  the  gentleman  whose 
son  he  had  traveled  with  had  made  him  a  gen 
erous  offer  to  study  law  with  him,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  continue  his  son's  tutor.  He 
would  thus  be  able  to  maintain  himself.  He 
only  wanted  his  mother's  approval. 

Mrs.  Gracy  very  naturally  thought  her  son 
had  sufficient  talent  to  honor  that  profession,  and 
readily  approved  of  the  plan.  Although  his 
visit  was  short,  she  was  obliged  to  consent  to 
his  immediate  return  to  the  city,  where  he  was 
to  enter  at  once  the  lawyer's  office. 

When  taking  leave  of  his  mother,  he  slipped 


WHO   COMES   NOW?  197 

a  gold  piece  into  her  hand,  and  whispered, 
"Poor  Bertha!" 

The  next  evening,  when  Hamilton  Gracy  re 
lated  Bertha's  sad  story  at  Mr.  Perrit's,  various 
were  the  emotions  of  the  little  circle. 

When  Louisa  learned  that  Bertha  had  lost  all 
her  beauty,  the  first  thought  was,  "  I  am  glad 
of  it  I"  The  instantaneous  one  that  followed 
was,  "  Oh,  how  wicked  I  am !  Poor  unfortunate 
girl !" 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perrit,  with  their  usual  benevo 
lence,  began  to  devise  ways  and  means  for  her 
comfort.  Mr.  Perrit  said,  "  It  will  be  a  good 
thing  for  sister  Nancy  to  have  her  sympathy 
and  kindness  called  forth  in  Bertha's  behalf." 

Esther  covered  her  face  and  wept,  without 
uttering  a  word. 

Patsy  said,  "  "What  a  pity  the  poor  child  was 
never  taught  to  work.  How  can  she  maintain 
herself?"  Patsy  had  been  taught  that  every 
person  should,  if  need  came,  "  earn  their  own 
living." 

*  4f  -X-  *  *  *  -5f 

"How  can  she  maintain  herself?"  was  the 
question  asked  at  Ivy  Cottage  by  Mrs.  Gracy. 


198  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

"We  will  teach  her,"  was  Miss  Nancy's 
cheerful  reply. 

Yet,  day  after  day,  Bertha  sat  cuddled  up  in 
an  arm-chair  by  the  fireside,  and  did  nothing. 
Under  the  care  of  two  such  excellent  nurses  she 
rapidly  recovered  her  health. 

"  Here  is  some  plain  sewing  for  you,"  said 
Mrs.  Gracy  one  morning  to  Bertha,  after  she 
had  been  a  full  month  at  Ivy  Cottage. 

"  I  cannot  do  plain  sewing ;  I  don't  know 
how,"  said  she. 

"  But  I  can  teach  you." 

"  Poor  ma  always  did  everything  for  me.  It 
will  spoil  my  lingers  to  sew ;"  and  she  began  to 
weep. 

"  But,  Bertha,  you  know  you  must  now  learn 
to  do  many  things  for  yourself.  It  may  seem 
hard  at  first ;  but  soon  you  will  find  more  plea 
sure  in  being  occupied  than  in  idleness." 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  piano  here." 

"A  piano!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Gracy,  almost 
hopeless.  "  You  must  learn  something  besides 
accomplishments." 

"  I  mean  to  teach  dancing ;  Mrs.  Iloppington 
said  I  could."  * 


WHO   COMES   NOW?  199 

"  But  who  will  you  teach  here  ?  Surely  not 
Miss  Nancy,  not  me,  nor  Orpy,"  replied  Mrs. 
Gracy,  laughing  at  the  ridiculous  idea. 

"  I  don't  know  why  you  laugh.  Every  lady 
admired  my  dancing ;  and  if  my  face  is  changed, 
my  figure  and  feet  are  not." 

Mrs.  Gracy  was  puzzled.  Is  there  no  possi 
bility  of  vanity's  dying  out  ? 

"  It  would  be  very  disagreeable  for  you  to 
appear  among  the  people  of  the  village  under 
present  circumstances.  Have  you  any  accfuaint- 
ance  with  them  ?" 

"No;  I  never  was  allowed  to  speak  to  the 
country  people.  Now  it  would  be  mortifying. 
I  suppose  I  must  give  up  that  notion.  But,  in 
deed,  I  shall  prick  my  fingers  dreadfully  with 
that  coarse  work." 

"I  hope  not.  It  is  only  hemming.  I  will 
turn  down  and  baste  the  hem  for  you." 

Bertha  was  awkward,  but  Mrs.  Gracy  was 
patient.  True,  there  were  little  dots  of  blood 
from  the  delicate  fingers  all  along  the  hem,  and 
the  delicate  fingers  smarted  a  little ;  but  Bertha 
was  pleased  to  see  what  she  had  accomplished, 
and  when  Mrs.  Gracy  told  her  she  had  better 


200  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

lay  aside  her  work,  she  said,  "  Not  till  I  show 
it  to  Miss  Nancy." 

That  good  lady  came  in,  bringing  a  checked 
apron,  one  that  belonged  to  Esther.  She 
praised  the  first  effort  at  hemming.  "Now," 
said  she,  "  put  on  this  apron,  Bertha ;  I  am 
going  to  teach  you  to  make  pies,  as  I  did  my 
nieces." 

"  Oh,  now,  Miss  Nancy,  you  surely  are  not 
going  to  take  me  to  the  kitchen.  I  am  afraid 
of  old  Orpy." 

"  Orpy  is  the  kindest  of  human  beings ;  she 
would  not  hurt  a  fly." 

"  Oh,  dear  !  I  don't  know  what  I  have  got  to 
come  to  next !" 

"I  do,"  said  Miss  Nancy,  good  humoredly. 
"  When  you  have  learned  to  make  pies,  I  will 
teach  you  to  make  bread.  I  intend  taking  you 
through  a  regular  course  of  domestic  learning." 

Poor  Bertha  was  ready  to  faint  from  the  heat 
and  the  smoke  of  the  kitchen  ;  and  her  unskil- 
fulness  in  paring  apples  quite  exceeded  that  of 
Miss  Nancy's  former  pupils.  Old  Orpy  whis 
pered  loudly  in  Miss  Nancy's  ear,  "  Do  take 
the  poor  little  crittur  out  of  the  kitchen." 


WHO   COMES   NOW?  201 

Miss  Nancy  did  as  Orpy  requested. 

"  The  bird  that  we  nurse  is  the  bird  that  we  love.' 

So  kind  had  been  Miss  Nancy  and  Mrs. 
Gracy  to  the  unfortunate  Bertha,  that  they 
were  becoming  devotedly  attached  to  her,  in 
spite  of  her  faults.  The  prospect  of  her  being 
able  to  maintain  herself  was  very  doubtful.  It 
was  quite  certain  that  she  was  unfit  for  hard 
work.  Too  tender  early  nurture  had  rendered 
her  a  fragile  thing,  no  more  able  to  encounter 
the  storms  of  life  than  the  drooping  fucia  of  the 
greenhouse  would  be  to  encounter  the  wintry 
blasts  which  now  beat  harmlessly  against  its 
warm  shelter. 

*  ft  *  ft  •£  •£  * 

LETTER  FROM  PATSY   GRACY. 

"March  20,  18— . 
"  DEAR  MOTHER  : 

"I  begin  already  to  count  the  days  which 
must  pass  before  I  shall  be  with  you.  Much  as 
I  have  enjoyed  the  winter,  my  heart  bounds 
at  the  prospect  of  being  once  more  in  my  own 
humble  home. 

"  I  am  right  glad  to  hear  that  you  and  Miss 


202  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

Nancy  continue  to  be  deeply  interested  in  Ber 
tha  Maxwell.  Mrs.  Perrit  says  Miss  Nancy 
only  wanted  an  occasion  to  open  up  the  rich 
and  sweet  fountain  of  kindness  in  her  generous 
heart.  Esther  and  Louisa  unsealed  the  fountain 
which  is  now  flowing  forth  so  abundantly.  I 
don't  think  those  were  her  exact  words,  but  it 
was  the  idea. 

"  I  have  something  to  tell  you,  dear  mother, 
which  will,  I  trust,  give  you  pleasure.  I  am 
sure  it  has  made  me  jump  for  joy.  Mr.  Perrit 
has  found  two  pupils  for  me — two  nice  little 
girls,  whose  mother  is  an  invalid,  and  whom  I 
am  to  take  home  with  me  and  educate,  with 
your  permission  and  assistance.  Now  will  you 
be  a  mother  to  them,  too — a  dear,  good  mother, 
as  you  are  to  me  ?  You  know  how  anxious  I 
am  to  be  independent,  because — yes,  mother, 
we  must  think  of  these  matters — because  I  want 
you  to  be  well  provided  for  when  you  are  older, 
and  that  you  may  not  be  obliged  to  work  so 
hard  now. 

"I  have  found  myself  able  to  keep  a  high 
standing  in  my  classes  at  school,  thanks  to  yor 
and  Hamilton  for  your  thorough  elementary  in- 


WHO   COMES    NOW?  203 

struction,  and  hope  it  is  not  presumption  for  me 
to  attempt  teaching. 

"  Hamilton  must  not  be  taxed  for  us.  It  will 
be  as  much  as  he  can  do  to  support  himself 
while  he  is  obtaining  his  profession.  Then,  you 
know,  he  must  have  a  law  library.  Perhaps,  if 
I  am  successful,  I  may  be  able  to  make  him  a 
present  of  Blackstone's  Commentaries  and 
some  other  law  books.  Wouldn't  that  be  de 
lightful! 

"  Then  I  Jiave  another  plan.  Bertha  must  re 
ceive  a  good  education.  I  can  assist  her.  If 
she  stays  with  Miss  Nancy  she  can  recite  to  me 
every  day.  What  do  you  say  to  that,  my  dear, 
good  mother?  and  what  says  generous  Miss 
Nancy  ?  Poor  petted  Bertha  !  Helpless  or 
phan  !  We  must  do  all  we  can  for  her  till  she 
is  able  to  help  herself.  Tell  her  not  to  be  dis 
couraged.  There  is  One  above  who  <  tempers 
the  blast  to  the  shorn  lamb.' 

"  The  Perrits — the  noble  Perrits,  one  and  all, 
send  love  to  the  tenants  of  Ivy  Cottage. 

"  Devotedly  your  daughter, 

"  PATSY. 

"P.  S. — We  see  Hamilton  quite  frequently. 


204:  BEAUTIFUL   EEBTHA. 


He  is  a  great  favorite  here,  I  assure  you.     1 
hope-  our  farmer  takes  good  care  of  Mincey." 

A 

Mrs.  Gracy  read  the  letter  to  Miss  Nancy  and 
Bertha. 

"  And  that  is  the  farm-girl  whom  I  used  to 
despise  !"  exclaimed  the  latter.  "  How  can 
she  be  so  generous  to  me?"  After  musing 
awhile,  Bertha  asked  Mrs.  Gracy  how  Patsy, 
who  was  only  a  little  older  than  herself,  could 
be  her  teacher. 

"Because  for  years  she  has  been  preparing 
herself  for  the  employment,"  answered  Mrs. 
Gracy.  "  Many  a  time  has  she  stood  at  the 
ironing-table  with  a  book  on  the  corner  of  it, 
studying  her  lesson  while  she  wras  ironing.  You 
have  seen  her  sitting  by  the  road-side  with  her 
book  in  hand,  while  our  cow  was  feeding." 

"That  I  have,  again  and  again,  and  I  won 
dered  what  funny  story-books  they  were  that 
charmed  her  so  much  that  she  did  not  notice 
me  at  all.  Mrs.  Gracy,  it  seems  to  me  the 
strangest  thing  in  the  world  that  you  should  be 
so  much  more  kind  to  me  now  than  you  were 
then." 


WHO   COMES   NOW?  205 

Mrs.  Gracy  might  have  told  Bertha  that  the 
reason  was  because  she  more  needed  kindness 
now  than  she  did  then ;  but  she  simply  said, 
"  We  are  all  glad  if  we  can  do  you  any  good." 

Alas !  the  sun  of  prosperity  had  withered  and 
shrivelled  the  heart  of  Bertha  Maxwell,  and  it 
was  still  too  contracted  to  comprehend  the 
length,  and  breadth,  and  depth  of  Christian 
charity. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

DELICATE   KINDNESS. 

BEKTHA  had  now  been  some  months  at  ivy 
Cottage,  and  yet  had  never  been  off  the  grounds. 
They  urged  her  to  go  to  church.  She  would 
not  for  the  world,  she  said,  have  those  country 
folks  make  fun  of  her.  "You  stayed  home 
from  church  yourself  for  ever  so  many  years," 
said  she  to  Miss  IsTancy. 

"  Sorry  arn  I  that  such  is  the  fact.  Those 
were  lost  years  to  me.  But  you  should  follow 
good  examples,  and  not  bad  ones  like  mine," 
was  the  humble  reply. 

These  words  were  scarcely  uttered  when  a 
carriage  drove  up  to  the  door,  and  out  of  it 
sprang  Hamilton  Gracy,  who  then  handed  out 
Esther,  Louisa,  and  Patsy. 

Bertha  fled  to  her  room  and  locked  herself  in. 
The  new  comers  were  welcomed  at  the  gate  by 


DELICATE  KINDNESS.  207 

a  feu-de-joie  of  kisses  from  Miss  Nancy  and 
Mrs.  Gracy.  The  little  party  had  just  left  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Perrit,  who,  after  dropping  them  at 
the  Sylvania  station,  continued  their  route 
westward.  Mrs.  Gracy  went  home  with  her 
son  and  daughter. 

In  spite  of  the  urgent  entreaties  of  Miss 
Nancy,  Bertha  would  not  leave  her  room.  The 
evening  was  passed  in  pleasant  chat  by  the  party 
below.  The  misses  were  surprised  to  find  how 
tenderly  and  affectionately  their  aunt  felt  to 
wards  her  unfortunate  guest.  Louisa  still  found 
it  difficult  to  repress  a  wicked  joy  that  Bertha 
was  no  longer  beautiful.  Esther,  full  of  sym 
pathy  and  pity,  seemed  entirely  to  have  forgot 
ten  the  grievances  they  had  suffered  during 
their  former  visit. 

The  next  morning  Miss  Nancy  sent  up  Ber 
tha's  breakfast,  instead  of  following  Louisa's  ad 
vice,  half  in  jest,  and  half  in  naughty  earnest: 
"  Starve  her  out."  Bertha  refused  to  admit 
Orpy  with  the  well  filled  tray,  though  she  had 
taken  no  supper. 

Soon  after  breakfast  Esther  went  and  knocked 
gently  at  the  door  of  Bertha's  room. 


208  BEAUTIFUL  BEETHA. 

No  answer. 

She  knocked  more  loudly,  with  no  better  suc 
cess  ;  then,  in  a  gentle  voice  she  said,  "  It  is  I ; 
Esther  Perrit.  Will  Miss  Maxwell  please  let 
me  come  in  ?  I  wish  to  tell  her  how  deeply  I 
am  interested  in  her."  The  sweet  voice  of  Esther 
was  an  "open  sesame."  Bertha  unlocked  the 
door  and  admitted  her  to  the  well-known  apart 
ment.  The  shutters  were  closed  and  the  cur 
tains  down.  They  sat  in  darkness,  but  Esther's 
conversation  was  sunshine  to  the  overshadowed 
soul  of  Bertha ;  she  drew  her  on  to  relate  her 
trials,  and  wept  with  the  unfortunate  and  erring 
girl. 

"  I  have  lost  everything.  Is  n't  it  a  shame  ? " 
said  Bertha,  as  she  ended  her  painful  story. 
"I  have  lost  my  beauty,  and  my  money,  and 
my  home,  and  my  mother,  and  I  never  shall  be 
happy  again  as  long  as  I  live.  I  wish  I  could  die." 

"  Oh  Bertha,  Bertha  I  don't  say  that ;— think 
what  a  mercy  it  is  that  your  life  was  spared, 
that  you  might  have  better  feelings  towards 
God,  your  Maker,  before  you  go  into  his  pre 
sence  in  another  world  and  be  judged  according 
to  the  works  done  in  the  body." 


DELICATE  KINDNESS.  209 

"  Why  I  never  have  done  anything  very  bad 
that  I  should  be  punished  so  severely  in  this 
world.  To  be  sure  I  was  proud,  but  I  had  a 
great  deal  to  be  proud  of,  and  I  was  rude  to 
you  and  your  sister.  I  coaxed  Groschen,  my 
German  maid,  to  poison  Miss  Nancy's  parrot, 
because  she  said  'Hold  your  tongue'  to  me. 
We  gave  the  creature  arsenic  one  day  when  she 
was  sitting  on  the  fence  yonder.  I  am  sorry  for 
that,  because  Miss  ISTancy  is  very  kind  to  me  now." 

"  It  is  a  good  beginning,  Bertha ;  we  ought 
to  be  sorry  for  all  the  wrong  we  have  done  to 
our  fellow-creatures.  Can  we  help  feeling  sorry, 
too,  when  we  think  how  we  have  treated  our 
best  Friend  ?  God  gave  you  beauty  and  many 
other  things — perhaps  you  never  loved  Him  nor 
thanked  Him  for  those  gifts,  and  yet  you  are 
very  angry,  and  think  it  hard  because  He  takes 
them  away  from  you.  Bertha,  your  Heavenly 
Father  may  be  trying  a  different  course  to  bring 
you  to  Him.  You  know  when  the  Prodigal 
Son,  in  the  beautiful  parable,  had  spent  all  his 
living  and  began  to  be  in  want,  he  remembered 
his  father's  house  and  resolved  to  go  to  him  and 

say,  '  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and 
14 


210  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

before  thee,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called 
thy  son,  make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired  servants.' 
Now,  you  know  his  father  met  him  while  he 
was  yet  a  great  way  off ;  he  was  on  his  return, 
however,  with  love  in  his  heart  towards  that 
kind  father.  So  we  must  all  return  to  our  Hea 
venly  Father,  and  He  will  forgive  our  sins,  and 
make  us  his  dear  children  through  Jesus  Christ, 
and  give  us  a  better  inheritance  than  beauty 
or  wealth.  There  is  no  perfect  happiness  in 
this  world,  but  there  is  i  pleasantness '  and  there 
is  c  peace '  for  those  who  walk  in  '  wisdom's 
ways,'  and  after  death  perfect  happiness  through 
eternity.  But  I  am  afraid  I  have  wearied  you, 
Bertha ;  I  will  bid  you  good  morning." 

"  No,  you  have  not ;  tell  Miss  Nancy  I  will 
come  down  to  dinner." 

When  the  clock  struck  twelve,  Bertha  slowly 
descended  the  stairs,  but  when  she  reached  the 
door  of  the  little  parlor  she  stood  irresolute, 
with  her  hand  on  the  lock.  She  heard  Esther's 
sweet  voice,  and  it  wooed  her  onward. 

As  soon  as  Louisa  saw  her,  all  malicious,  un 
kind  feeling  passed  away  like  chaff  before  the 
wind.  Bertha  had  lost  her  uncommon  beauty ; 


DELICATE   KINDNESS.  211 

but  her  hair  was  now  grown  longer,  her  com 
plexion  was  less  sallow,  and  she  was  much  less 
emaciated.  She  was  pale,  and  her  eyes  swol 
len  and  red  with  weeping.  It  was  not  the 
change  in  appearance  that  touched  the  gen 
erous  heart  of  Louisa.  It  was  the  shyness — the 
painful  consciousness  of  wrong-doing  which  Ber 
tha  exhibited — which  quite  subdued  Louisa  ; 
she  went  forward  to  meet  her,  held  out  her 
hand  cordially  and  led  her  to  a  seat  at  table  be 
side  her,  but  Louisa  could  not  speak  »a  word. 
Perhaps  the  large  drops  that  chased  each  other 
over  her  cheeks  were  a  most  acceptable  expres 
sion  of  sympathy. 

What  made  Miss  Nancy  nudge  her  knuckles 
into  her  own  eyes  so  indignantly  ?  She  had  no 
reason  to  be  ashamed  of  those  tears  that  would 
cor^e  in  spite  of  herself. 

It  would  have  been  an  awkward  and  painful 
meal  throughout,  but  for  Esther.  She  talked 
with  Miss  Nancy  about  Patsy's  plans.  The  two 
pupils  were  to  arrive  in  a  few  days.  There  was 
to  be  a  room  fitted  up  for  the  little  school. 
Patsy  hoped  for  a  third  pupil.  "Margaret 
Gracy,"  said  she,  "  was  the  first  scholar  in  her 


212  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

classes  at  school.  She  has  besides  been  taking 
lessons  in  music  all  winter  and  has  made  won 
derful  progress,  so  that  she  will  be  able  to  teach 
the  little  girls,  who  are  beginners.  Papa  has 
given  her  a  piano,  and  Bertha  can  practice  if 
she  wishes  to  keep  up  her  music." 

Bertha's  eyes  brightened  and  her  face  flushed 
with  pleasure.  Such  delicate  consideration  for 
her  wras  more  than  she  could  possibly  understand, 
and  it  was  long,  long  before  she  fully  appreciated 
all  their  kindness. 


CHAPTER  XXIL 

A    LETTER  TO   THE  DEAD. 

THE  two  little  pupils  arrived,  and  the  day 
came  for  opening  Patsy's  school. 

One  expected  scholar  was  very  reluctant  to 
make  her  appearance.  Bertha  had  not  yet  been 
beyond  Miss  Nancy's  grounds,  though  she  had 
of  late  frequently  seen  Patsy  at  Ivy  Cottage. 

"  Come  Bertha,  Louisa  and  I  will  walk  with 
you  this  morning,"  said  Esther,  handing  her  a 
neat  white  sun-bonnet,  the  making  of  which  had 
employed  many  an  hour  in  Esther's  room  ; 
"  please  wear  this  bonnet,  because  it  is  just  like 
Louisa's  and  mine." 

"  I  am  afraid  we  shall  meet  Hamilton  Gracy." 

"  He  has  returned  to  the  city 

"But  we  shall  meet  a  great  many  other 
people." 


214:  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"  They  will  do  us  no  harm.  It  is  a  charming 
morning,  and  the  walk  to  Mrs.  Gracy's  a  de 
lightful  one." 

"  But,  Miss  Perrit,  are  you  not  afraid  of  mad 
dogs?" 

Esther  shuddered,  but  replied,  "  It  is  not  the 
season  for  mad  dogs." 

"Here  are  your  books,  Bertha;  I  will  put 
them  in  your  dinner-basket,"  said  Louisa,  cut 
ting  short  the  deliberation  by  walking  off  with 
the  basket  on  her  arm. 

"  Dinner-basket ! "  exclaimed  Bertha,  looking 
at  the  well-filled  basket  with  as  much  horror  as 
a  fashionable  dandy  would  at  a  huge  market- 
basket,  if  requested  to  carry  it  home.  "Din 
ner  basket !  Am  I  expected  to  carry  my  din 
ner?" 

"  You  may  call  it  a  lunch  if  you  please,  Ber 
tha,"  said  Miss  Nancy ;  "  you  know,  my  clear, 
you  are  to  stay  all  day  on  account  of  your  mu 
sic  and  Frenchj  so  at  noon  you  will  need  some 
refreshment,  and  if  you  choose,  ask  Patsy  to  join 
you ;  or  perhaps  you  will  prefer  going  to  Mrs. 
Gracy's  table  ;  if  so,  the  pie  (for  it  is  a  pretty 
large  one),  and  other  things  can  go  on  her  table 


A   LETTER   TO   THE   DEAD.  215 

without  looking  oddly.     Do  just  as  you  please, 
darling." 

As  Mrs.  Gracy  predicted,  Miss  Nancy  was  in 
danger  of  over-indulgence  to  her  present  pet. 

"  Louisa  is  running  away  from  us,  we  must 
walk  fast  to  come  up  with  her." 

As  soon  as  they  started,  Louisa  skipped  "back 
to  them  and  went  on  chatting  in  her  gayest 
mood,  in  spite  of  the  big  dinner-basket  which 
she  now  and  then  changed  from  one  arm  to  the 
other. 

When  they  arrived,  there  sat  Patsy  (beg  par 
don  !  Miss  Gracy !)  in  an  arm  chair,  as  grave 
and  as  dignified  as  the  President  of  a  College 
on  Commencement  Day.  Her  two  young  pu 
pils  were  seated  at  their  desks.  Patsy  motioned 
Bertha  to  take  her  seat  at  another  desk,  and 
then  with  a  wave  of  the  hand  to  Esther  and 
Louisa,  unceremoniously  dismissed  them. 

The  fact  was,  she  saw  a  mischievous  twinkle 
in  Louisa's  eye,  and  was  afraid  her  own  gravity 
would  be  disturbed. 

The  sisters  wandered  homeward  by  the  grotto 
and  the  brook,  calling  up  memories  of  the  past 
at  every  step.  They  were  not  as  romantic  and 


216  BEAUTIFUL  -BERTHA. 

sentimental  as  formerly,  but  they  had  keener 
appreciation,  and  more  intense  love  of  the  beau 
tiful.  In  the  grotto  they  could  not  stand  up 
right,  but  they  sat  on  the  old  rustic  bench,  and 
chatted  a  full  hour. 

"  Suppose  we  go  now  to  the  Post  Office,  we 
ought  by  this  time  to  have  letters  from  papa 
and  mamma,"  said  Louisa. 

"  A  bright  thought ! "  exclaimed  Esther,  start 
ing  up  suddenly,  and  thumping  her  head  against 
the  rock-roof  hard  enough  to  knock  all  bright 
thoughts  out  for  the  next  minute. 

At  the  Post  Office  they  found  letters  for  them 
selves,  and  then  the  Post-master  said,  "  Here  is 
a  letter  for  Mrs.  Maxwell,  who  used  to  live  at 
Linden  Hall.  I  understand  the  lady  is  dead. 
It  is  a  foreign  letter,  that  has  been  long  on  the 
way." 

"  Her  daughter  is  with  my  aunt,  Miss  ISTancy 
Perrit.  Shall  I  take  the  letter  to  her  \ " 

"  Yes ;  if  you  will  pay  the  postage." 

"  Certainly." 

Many  were  the  conjectures  formed  about  that 
letter  as  they  wended  their  way  to  Ivy  Cottage. 
They  wished  to  go  immediately  and  carry  it  to 


A   LETTER   TO   THE   DEAD.  217 

Bertha,  but  Miss  Nancy  thought  it  better  to 
wait  for  her  return  in  the  afternoon. 

Mrs.  Gracy  walked  home  from  school  with 
Bertha,  to  whom  the  day  had  been  the  most 
pleasant  she  had  passed  in  a  long  time. 

Miss  Nancy  took  Mrs.  Gracy  aside,  and  tell 
ing  her  of  the  letter,  asked  her  to  hand  it  to 
Bertha. 

Mrs.  Gracy  followed  Bertha  to  her  own  room, 
and  there  broke  it  to  her  as  gently  as  possible 
that  the  letter  she  held  in  her  hand  was  ad 
dressed  to  her  deceased  mother.  Bertha  held  it 
in  her  hand,  turning  it  this  way  and  that,  study 
ing  the  various  postmarks,  and  then  asked,  in  a 
mournful  tone,  what  she  should  do  with  it. 

"  You  can  open  and  read  it,  if  you  please." 

"  'Ma  never  allowed  me  to  open  her  letters." 

"  It  may  relate  to  business  of  importance." 

"  Please  call  Miss  Nancy." 

Mrs.  Gracy  did  so. 

"  O,  Miss  Nancy,  only  think !  this  letter  ought 
to  have  come  to  my  poor  'ma,  who  is  now  in — 
in  the  grave.  I  am  afraid  to  open  it — please 
just  see  who  it  comes  from." 

Miss  Nancy  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  open- 


218  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

ing  one  of  Mrs.  Maxwell's  letters,  but  not  liking 
to  refuse,  with  trembling  hands  she  broke  the 
seal,  and  glancing  her  eye  at  the  closing  page, 
read  aloud,  "William  Maxwell,"  and  placed 
the  letter  on  Bertha's  lap. 

"  From  my  brother !  It  cannot  be.  Do  read 
it.  I  can't  see  one  word." 

"Wait  awhile  till  you  are  more  composed. 
We  will  leave  you  to  take  your  own  time,"  said 
Mrs.  Gracy,  as  they  left  the  room. 

THE     LETTER. 

"  CANTON,  June  14, 18 — . 
"Mr  DEAR  MOTHER: 

"  I  have  written  to  you  several  times  since  I 
left  home,  but  my  letters  may  not  have  reached 
you,  as  I  have  not  received  any  in  return. 

"  After  leaving  Linden  Hall,  I  made  my  way 
to  New  York  as  rapidly  as  possible,  hoping  to 
find  there  my  friend  Hamilton  Gracy,  who,  1 
knew,  was  about  to  sail  for  Europe.  He  had 
sailed  the  very  day  before.  I  had  been  accus 
tomed  to  consult  him  and  to  rely  upon  his  supe 
rior  judgment.  Now,  I  was  alone  in  a  strange 
city,  and  without  a  dollar  in  my  purse.  I  took 


A  LETTER   TO   THE   DEAD.  219 

up  a  newspaper  and  saw  an  advertisement — 
4  Hands  wanted  on  board  ship  Columbus,  Capt. 
Micker,  up  for  Canton,'  &c.  &c. 

"  ~Not  knowing  what  to  do  with  myself,  1 
went  on  board  the  Columbus  and  engaged  my 
self  as  a  sailor  before  the  mast.  I,  a  fresh-water 
lubber,  who  had  never  before  been  on  board 
any  craft  larger  than  a  boat  on  Honey-pot 
Brook !  We  had  a  stormy  passage.  Of  course 
I  suffered  severely  from  sea-sickness  and  the 
hardships  incident  to  a  sailor's  life.  We  were 
seven  months  on  the  passage. 

"  For  some  reason,  which  I  cannot  explain,  I 
gained  the  good-will  of  Captain  Micker  and  his 
first  mate.  Finding  that  I  was  reduced  in 
health  and  strength,  and  was  really  unable  to 
do  duty  on  deck,  the  Captain,  who  had  no  clerk, 
took  me  into  his  cabin  to  act  in  that  capacity. 
Before  we  reached  Macao  he  was  seized  with 
dangerous  illness.  I  was  his  nurse.  Through 
the  mercy  of  God  he  recovered.  During  his 
convalescence  I  frequently  read  to  him  from  the 
Bible  and  other  good  books,  with  which  our 
ship  had  been  supplied  by  the  New  York  Ma 
rine  Bible  Society.  He  never  to  my  knowledge 


220  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

has  used  profane  language  since  (unfortunately 
lie  had  been  terribly  addicted  to  swearing) ;  and 
he  has  given  up  <  grog '  entirely.  I  do  hope  he 
is  a  Christian  man.  <  Works'  seem  to  have  fol 
lowed  fast  after  '  Faith.' 

"  He  has  since  treated  me  like  a  brother. 
Being  well  acquainted  with  merchants  at  Can 
ton,  he  inquired  among  them  for  a  clerkship  for 
a  '  liberally  educated  young  man.'  He  found 
a  very  lucrative  position  for  me,  which  I  still 
occupy. 

"  And  now,  my  dear  mother,  though  it  was  a 
severe  trial  for  me  to  leave  home,  I  trust  God 
meant  it  for  good.  I  shall  now  be  able  to  do 
much  more  for  you  and  Bertha  than  I  could 
have  done  in  a  long  time  had  1  completed  my 
college  course.  You  wished  my  pretty  sister 
to  enjoy  better  advantages  for  her  education 
than  she  could  have  at  Linden  Hall.  I  hope 
you  have  been  able  to  afford  them  to  her.  It 
is  highly  important  that  she  should  be  thoroughly 
educated.  Such  are  the  vicissitudes  of  life,  that 
every  person  in  our  country  should  be  prepared 
as  far  as  possible  to  meet  them. 

"  I  herewith  send  you  a  draft  on  <  Homer, 


A   LETTER   TO   THE   DEAD.  221 

Milburn  &  Co.,'  of  New  York,  for  dhe  hundred 
dollars,  which  they  will  cash  at  sight.  You 
perceive  that  it  is  payable  'to  bearer,'  so  that 
you  have  only  to  send  it  by  mail.  This  is  my 
first  present  to  Bertha.  I  hope  others  will  soon 
follow.  Address  the  letters  you  write  to  me  to 
the  care  of  the  same  house,  and  they  will  for 
ward  them  to  me. 

"  I  have  thought  of  many  things  which  I  did 
at  home  which  I  ought  not  to  have  done,  and 
many  others  which  I  left  undone.  I  am  deeply 
sorry  for  all  the  sins  and  follies  of  my  childhood 
and  youth.  I  beg  you  will  forgive  me,  dear 
mother,  for  any  wrongs  I  may  have  done  to  you 
in  times  past. 

"Give  my  best  love  to  dear  Bertha.  Tell 
her  to  study  faithfully,  and  to  learn  besides,  to 
be  a  domestic,  useful  woman — not  a  fine  lady. 
Life  is  a  stern,  sober  reality,  my  dear  mother, 
but  I  hope,  through  God's  assistance,  to  battle 
it  through  manfully.  The  flowers  which  lay  in 
my  morning  path  were  crushed  before  noon, 
yet  their  perfume  lingers  in  memory. 

"  Give  my  best  love  to  my  pretty  Bertha,  and 
heg  her  to  write  to  me.  I  am  extremely  anx- 


222  BEAUTIFUL   UERTHA. 

ious  to  hear  from  you.  Alas !  how  many  things 
may  have  happened  to  you  since  I  left  home. 
God  bless  and  protect  you  from  harm.  Fare 
well. 

"  Your  only  son, 

"WILLIAM  MAXWELL." 

About  an  hour  after  Mrs.  Gracy  and  Miss 
Nancy  had  left  Bertha  to  read  her  letter,  they 
returned,  and  found  she  had,  childlike,  cried 
herself  to  sleep.  Their  entiance  awoke  her. 

"  Was  it  a  dream  ?  Was  it  a  dream  ?"  she 
exclaimed,  on  waking.  "  O  no ;  here  is  the 
blessed  letter.  Now,  now  I  can  have  my  dear 
little  watch  back  again  !  Head  it  aloud,  Mrs. 
Gracy." 

Mrs.  Gracy's  eyes  were  dim  with  tears,  and 
her  voice  faltered ;  but  she  read  it  all  through. 
Miss  Nancy  immediately  after  left  the  room. 

Could  it  be  that  Bertha's  first  thought  was  of 
her  watch?  Ah !  bad  habits  of  thought  and  feeling 
are  iron-rust  stains  on  the  soul.  By  sharp  and 
bitter  means  must  they  be  removed,  or  they  will 
eat  in  to  its  very  core. 

"Tell  me,  Mrs.  Gracy,  how  I  can  get  the 


A   LETTER   TO   THE   DEAD.  223 

money  my  brother  sends  me  ?  It  was  kind  in 
Bill  to  think  of  me,"  added  Bertha. 

"  There  will  be  no  difficulty  about  obtaining 
the  money,"  said  Mrs.  Gracy,  coldly. 

"I  shouldn't  wonder,  now,  with  your  singular 
notions,  if  you  objected  to  my  sending  my  own 
money  for  my  beloved  watch.  It  is  such  a  dear 
little  watch,  with  a  blue  enamelled  back." 

"Your  generous  brother's  money  was  no 
doubt  hardly  earned,  and  ought  to  be  judi 
ciously  spent." 

"  Well,  I  can  have  the  watch  for  eighty  dol 
lars,  and  besides  can  pay  Miss  Gracy  for  my 
schooling,  if  you  wish." 

"That  is  too  unkind.  Now,  Bertha,  I  am 
really  angry  with  you.  I  can  stay  no  longer ;" 
and  Mrs.  Gracy  hastily  left  the  room. 

She  was  too  generous  to  tell  Miss  Nancy  of 
this  indelicate  and  cruel  speech,  but  she  did  tell 
her  about  the  watch,  and  Esther  and  Louisa 
were  present.  There  was  a  general  exclamation 
of  astonishment.  But  tea  was  ready,  and  no 
more  at  that  time  was  said  about  it.  Bertha 
remained  perfectly  silent  at  the  table,  quite 
shamefaced. 


224  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

After  tea  she  called  Miss  ISTancy  aside,  and 
had  a  conversation  with  her,  the  result  of  which 
Miss  Nancy  soon  after  communicated  to  the 
little  circle. 

"  Of  her  own  accord,  she  came  to  me  and 
thanked  me  for  all  I  have  done  for  her,  and 
offered  me  half  the  money  she  is  to  receive," 
said  the  kind-hearted  Miss  Nancy,  exultingly. 

"  You  accepted  it,  of  course ;  it  is  the  first 
symptom  of  moral  recovery  Bertha  has  yet 
shown,"  remarked  Mrs.  Gracy. 

"  I  told  the  poor  child  I  was  much  obliged 
to  her,  and  I  would  take  the  matter  into  con 
sideration.  I  will  accept  her  offer,  if  you 
think  best,  but  I  shall  send  for  the  watch  and 
keep  it  for  her  till  some  future  time.  You 
know  I  am  a  thrifty  woman,  and  can  well  afford 
this  small  indulgence  to  myself." 

"  You  may  indulge  yourself  as  much  as  you 
please,  but  beware  of  indulging  Bertha;  she 
needs  strict,  steady  watchfulness,  and  tight 
reins.  You  remember  the  fable  of  Sysiphus, 
and  how  the  great  stone  he  was  rolling  up  hill 
pressed  back  upon  him  if  he  relaxed  his  efforts 
one  moment.  Just  such  will  be  your  experi- 


A  LETTEK   TO   THE   DEAD.  225 

ence;  you  will  find  it  up-hill  work  with 
Bertha." 

Miss  ISTancy  sighed,  and  was  sorrowful. 

''Take  courage,  dear  aunt  Nancy,"  said  Es 
ther,  cheeringly,  "  I  do  believe  the  first  impulse 
upward  has  been  given  to  poor  Bertha,  and  I 
trust  God  will  give  her  strength  to  keep  onward 
and  upward,  and  true  to  the  line." 


15 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

GRAND   EXPECTATIONS. 

u  Miss  GRACY,  please  write  a  letter  for  me  to 
my  brother,"  said  Bertha,  the  next  morning,  as 
she  sat  at  her  school-desk,  with  a  sheet  of  paper 
"before  her,  biting  the  end  of  her  pen. 

"  By  no  means ;  you  will  write  it  better  your 
self." 

"  1  have  tried  and  tried,  and  I  can't  do  it. 
Well,  if  you  will  not  write  for  me,  just  read 
Bill's  letter,  and  tell  me  what  to  say." 

Patsy  read  the  letter,  and  her  tears  fell  like 
rain  over  the  touching  pages.  It  was,  she  ac 
knowledged,  very  trying  for  Bertha  to  communi 
cate  the  news  of  her  mother's  sickness  and  death, 
and  she  would  write  that  part  of  the  letter  for  her. 
Difficult  indeed  did  Patsy  find  the  task  thus 
imposed  upon  her ;  she  wrote  and  rewrote  it, 


GRAND   EXPECTATIONS.  227 

and  at  last  was  quite  dissatisfied  with  her  effort, 
and  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  sign  her  name  at  the 
close. 

Eelieved  from  that  part  of  the  letter,  Bertha 
wrote  as  follows : 

u  DEAR  BILL  : 

"  You  will  wonder  who  Margaret  Gracy  is, 
who  wrote  what  goes  before  this.  Don't  you 
remember  the  farm-girl,  who  used  to  drive  a 
cow,  and  hoe,  and  do  all  sorts  of  work  ?  Well, 
she  has  got  to  be  quite  like  a  lady,  and  keeps 
school,  and  I  go  to  her.  She  has  only  two 
scholars  besides  me,  and  she  gives  me  my 
schooling  for  nothing.  I  live  with  Miss  Nancy 
Perrit.  She  is  very  kind  to  me.  You  remem 
ber  the  queer  old  maid  who  lives  in  a  log-house. 
Them  two  girls  that  you  used  to  call  fairies  are 
now  here  on  a  visit.  Esther  is  a  very  religious 
girl — Louisa  not  so  much  so.  They  both  take 
a  great  deal  of  notice  of  me,  though  they  are 
immensely  rich,  and  I  should  be  poor  as  pov 
erty,  if  it  was  not  for  the  money  you  sent.  I 
am  much  obliged  to  you  for  it,  and  I  hope  you 
will  be  able  to  make  a  great  deal  more.  The 


228  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

worst  news  of  all  I  have  got  to  tell  you  is,  I 
have  lost  my  beauty.     My  hair  had  to  be  cut 
off,  and  it  is  growing  out  stiff  and  straight,  and 
I  don't  think  I  shall  ever  get  my  true  color 
again,     But  my  form  is  the  same,  only  rather 
better,  and  Miss  Nancy  says  I  look  as  well  now 
as  most  folks.     Who  would  tiave  thought  that 
Miss  Nancy  and  these  other  people  would  be 
so  kind  to  me  when  I  came  here  sick,  and  with 
nothing  but  what  I  carried    in  my  traveling 
bag !     O  Bill,  I  am  really  beginning  almost  to 
love  Miss  Nancy.     Is  n't  it  strange  ?     I  mean 
to  study,  because  you  want  me  to ;  and  because 
it  is  lady-like  to  know  something.     I  am  glad 
you  are  so  pious,  because  you  wont  get  dissi 
pated,  and  spend  all  your  money.     When  do 
you  expect  to  come  home?      I  wish  you  was 
here  now,  for  I  do  miss  poor  'ma  dreadfully ;  it 
makes  me  cry  so  to  think  of  her,  that  I  can't 
write  another  word,  only  that  I  am  always  your 
affectionate  sister, 

"BEKTHA  MAXWELL." 

This  letter,  and  the  draft,  were  sent  to  Horner, 
Minturn  &  Co.,  New  York,  and  by  return  of 


GRAND   EXPECTATIONS.  229 

mail,  Bortlia  received  one  hundred  dollars. 
Half  of  it  she  handed  to  Miss  Nancy,  who  whis 
pered  in  her  ear,  "  Darling,  I  will  keep  it  for 
you." 

Never  having  had  fifty  dollars  in  her  posses 
sion  before,  Bertha  felt  quite  rich,  and  on  her 
way  to  school  with  Esther  and  Louisa,  she 
talked  of  the  handsome  mourning  she  should 
buy,  and  formed  bright  plans  for  the  future 
when  her  brother  should  come  home,  rich  as 
Croesus. 

"I  do  hope  in  all  conscience,"  said  she,  "I 
shall  never  be  obliged  to  earn  my  own  living 
as  Patsy  does." 

"  Patsy  is  not  obliged  to  do  it ; — it  is  her  free 
choice,"  replied  Louisa  with  spirit ;  "  and  you, 
Bertha  Maxwell,  ought  to  be  the  last  person  in 
the  world  to  speak  contemptuously  of  your  gene 
rous  benefactress." 

"  I  don't  mean  to, — but  O  dear  me !  I  find  it 
so  hard  to  keep  down  my  pride.  I  can't,  some 
how,  remember  that  I  don't  live  at  Linden  Hall, 
with  a  maid  to  wait  on  me,  and  everybody  call 
ing  me  Beautiful  Bertha ;  yet  I  have  had  enough 
to  make  me  remember  it." 


230  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

Esther  sighed  as  she  thought  how  much  more 
discipline  the  poor  girl  still  needed. 

The  next  Monday  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perrit  arrived 
at  Ivy  Cottage,  and  the  day  following  left  for 
home  with  their  daughters. 


CHAPTEE  XXIY. 

NEWS  FROM  THE  ANTIPODES. 

MONTH  after  month  passed  away  with  very 
little  change  at  Ivy  Cottage  and  at  Mrs.  Gracy's, 
with  one  exception.  Patsy's  school  had  gradu 
ally  increased,  and  now  numbered  ten — all  day 
scholars  but  the  first  two  pupils,  who  were  still 
in  the  house  with  her.  Bertha  had  become  an 
industrious  scholar,  and  was  slowly  improving 
in  character. 

It  was  nearly  seven  months  since  the  recep 
tion  of  William  Maxwell's  letter,  and  none  had 
been  since  received  by  Bertha.  Day  after  day 
she  went  to  the  Post-office  before  going  to 
school,  and  her  heart  sickened  as  every  day  she 
heard  the  same  reply  to  her  eager  inquiry, 
"  No  letter." 

At  length  it  came,  early  in  the  month  of  May, 


232  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

and  with  joy  amounting  to  rapture,  Bertha 
seized  it  and  walked  out  of  the  office.  She  ran 
till  she  came  to  a  retired  place  in  a  little  grove, 
and  seating  herself  under  a  tree,  tore  it  open 
and  read  as  follows : 

"  CANTON,  January  21,  18 — . 

"Gone!  Our  poor  mother  gone,  and  you 
left  alone,  my  dear  Bertha !  Delicately  and  ten 
derly  as  the  information  was  conveyed,  by  your 
excellent  friend  Miss  Gracy,  it  was  a  great  shock 
to  me. 

"You,  Bertha,  our  mother's  petted  darling — 
who  will  take  care  of  you  ?  The  Father  of  the 
fatherless,  who  has  opened  the  heart  of  Miss 
Nancy  Perrit  to  receive  you  so  kindly  to  her 
own  house.  May  He  bless  and  reward  her  ! 

"I  must  write  you  a  very  short  letter,  my 
dear  Bertha,  for  I  am  just  recovering  from 
severe  illness,  and  can  scarcely  hold  my  pen. 
This  climate  does  not  agree  with  me,  and  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  return  to  my  own  country.  For 
your  sake  I  wish  to  return,  and  I  trust  it  is  on 
every  account  for  the  best. 

"  Through  Messrs.  Homer,  Minturn  &  Co.,  I 


NEWS   FROM   THE   ANTIPODES.  233 

send  Miss  Nancy  Perrit  a  chest  of  tea,  and  a 
few  articles  for  you,  my  dear  sister.  The  ivory 
fan  I  wish  you  would  present  in  your  own  name, 
to  Miss  Gracy.  I  am  grieved  not  to  be  able  to 
send  you  another  draft ;  my  long  illness  has 
drawn  largely  on  my  funds,  and  at  present  I 
have  not  a  dollar  to  spare.  Indeed  I  should 
have  been  troubled  for  money,  had  not  an  Ame 
rican  gentleman  kindly  loaned  me  enough  to 
render  me  comfortable.  Do  assure  Miss  Nancy 
Perrit  that  if  my  life  and  health  are  spared  I 
will  repay  her,  so  far  as  pecuniary  payment  is 
concerned,  and  yet  I  shall  remain  her  debtor  for 
life.  Kindness,  such  as  hers  and  Miss  Giacy's, 
calls  forth  the  deepest  gratitude ;  and  thanks 
seem  poor  and  mean  when  I  endeavor  to  express 
them.  Should  I  not  be  permitted  to  return 

home but  that  is  too  sad  a  thought. 

"  What  a  privilege  it  is  to  you,  dear  Bertha, 
to  be  able  to  continue  your  education  under 
such  peculiarly  favorable  circumstances.  Make 
the  best  use  of  your  time  at  school,  and  at  home 
assist  good  Miss  Nancy  in  her  domestic  affairs. 
I  hope  you  will  become  a  discreet,  useful  woman. 
Above  all,  read  your  Bible,  and  pray  to  God  to 


234:  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

impress  its  sacred  truths  on  your  heart.  It  has 
been  a  blessed  consolation  to  me  in  a  foreign 
land,  far  away  from  Christian  society  and  the 
services  of  the  Church,  and  above  all  during  the 
long,  lonely  hours  of  a  slow  convalescence. 

Please  give  my  sincere  regards  and  warmest 
thanks  to  Miss  Nancy  and  all  the  Perrits,  and 
my  profound  respects  to  Mrs.  Gracy  and  her 
daughter. 

"  I  am  so  much  exhausted  by  the  effort  to 
write,  that  I  have  hardly  strength  left  to  sub 
scribe  myself 

"  Your  loving  brother, 

"  WILLIAM." 

Bertha  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and 
sobbed  aloud.  For  the  first  time  in  her  life  she 
breathed  a  heartfelt  prayer; — few  were  the 
words,  but  the  flame  of  devotion  was  kindled, 
and  though  but  a  feeble  spark,  it  proved  like 
"the  morning  light,  which  shineth  more  and 
more  unto  the  perfect  day." 


CHAPTEK  XXV. 

TJNDEK   AN   UMBEELLA. 

IT  was  a  warm  day  in  the  month  of  July. 
Bertha,  at  Miss  Nancy's  urgent  entreaty,  carried 
a  large  umbrella  to  shield  her  from  the  burning 
heat  of  the  sun,  as  she  walked  to  school.  A 
small  basket  hung  on  her  arm,  and  in  one  hand 
she  held  an  open  book  in  which  she  was  dili 
gently  studying  her  lesson.  As  she  thus  walked 
slowly  along,  suddenly  she  almost  stumbled 
over  some  one  on  the  ground  by  the  roadside, 
and  stopped. 

A  young  man,  who  might  possibly  have  seen 
two  and  twenty  summers,  lay  on  the  grass  be 
neath  a  large  elm  tree,  soundly  asleep. 

By  his  side  was  a  small  bundle,  tied  up  in  a 
white  silk  handkerchief.  A  stout  stick  lay  by 
it.  His  coarse  straw  hat  h'ad  fallen  off,  and  his 


236  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

dark  hair  fell  over  a  face  as  bronzed  as  an  In 
dian's  ;  dark  whiskers  and  moustache  rendered 
his  appearance  still  more  dusky.  His  dress  was 
worn  and  soiled,  and  yet  had  a  certain  air  of 
respectability,  "  almost  of  gentility,"  thought 
Bertha,  as  she  gazed  wonderingly  at  the  sleep 
ing  stranger. 

"  I  am  afraid  this  is  not  a  safe  place  for  a  per 
son  to  sleep,"  thought  she.  "  Over  the  other 
side  of  the  fence  he  would  do  better.  It  would 
be  kind  to  tell  him  so."  "  Ahem  !  ahem  !"  said 
Bertha.  He  did  not  wake. 

"  I  will  put  his  bundle  the  other  side  of  the 
fence,  at  any  rate,  for  fear  some  rogue  might 
steal  it.  I  have  a  great  mind  to  set  my  umbrel 
la  up  so  that  it  will  shade  his  face,  for  the  sun 
comes  through  this  thin  elm,"  said  she  to  her 
self;  and  kneeling  down  beside  him  she  en 
deavored  so  to  place  the  umbrella  as  to  afford 
him  security  from  the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun. 
Just  as  she  had  succeeded  in  placing  it  to  her 
satisfaction,  and  while  still  on  her  knees  bending 
over  him,  he  suddenly  awoke. 

"  Is  this  the  good  $ngel  I  have  been  dreaming 
of?"  said  he,  gazing  wistfully  in  her  face. 


TINKER    AN    UMBRELLA.  237 

"  Oh,  no,  I  am  not  a  good  angel.  I  never 
heard  of  angels  carrying  umbrellas.  I  was 
just  trying  to  fix  mine  in  such  a  way  that  you 
would  not  melt  in  the  sun ;"  and  Bertha  started 
to  her  feet. 

The  young  man  did  the  same,  and  then  said, 
"  You  are  very  kind,  Miss.  I  was  much  fa 
tigued  with  a  long  journey,  and  must  have  slept 
here  for  some  hours."  Then  looking  round 
anxiously,  he  said,  "  I  had  a  small  parcel  with 
me  of  great  value ;  I  am  afraid  some  one  has 
robbed  me  of  it  before  you  came  along." 

"  There  now,  you  acknowledge  it  was  careless 
of  you  to  leave  it  exposed  to  the  passers-by." 

"I  do;  but  excessive  fatigue  overcame  me. 
This  is  the  crowning-point  of  my  misfortunes." 

Bertha,  with  a  merry  laugh — that  shrill  ring 
ing  laugh — drew  the  bundle  from  the  other  side 
of  the  fence. 

He  started,  and  exclaimed,  "There  can  be 
but  one  laugh  like  that.  It  must  be  Bertha's." 

"  Yes,  I  am  Bertha  Maxwell,  and  it  is  quite 
time  I  was  at  school ;  but  I  don't  know  you,  sir." 

"  Not  know  your  own  brother !  Then,  in 
deed,  1  must  be  changed." 


238  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"Brother!"  exclaimed  Bertha,  still  looking 
doubtfully  at  the  dark  stranger. 

He  threw  his  arms  around  her,  and  kissed  hei 
again  and  again,  while  she  struggled  to  escape, 
crying,  "  I  can't  believe  it ;  no,  I  can't  believe 
it.'3 

"  Yes,  Bertha,  I  am  your  poor  shipwrecked 
brother.  Will  you  not  own  me  ?" 

"I  wonder  I  did  not  know  your  voice  be 
fore,"  said  Bertha,  tenderly.  "I  should,  only 
it  was  so  mournful,  somehow — so  grief-stricken." 

"  Let  us  sit  down  under  this  tree  awhile,"  said 
William,  "  for  although  I  have  had  a  long  nap, 
I  am  still  very  weary." 

They  seated  themselves  together  under  the 
tree,  and  under  the  umbrella,  too,  Bertha  say 
ing,  "I  know  Miss  Gracy  will  excuse  me  for 
playing  truant  to-day,  when  she  knows  the  rea 
son.  Bill,  did  you  say  you  had  been  ship 
wrecked  ?" 

"  I  did.  If  you  received  my  last  letter,  you 
will  remember  that  I  was  then  recovering  from 
a  long  and  severe  illness.  After  that  I  had  an 
other  relapse,  and  my  employers  decided  to 
send  me  home.  I  suffered  much  on  the  long 


UNDER   AN   UMBRELLA.  239 

voyage  during  the  first  two  months ;  after  that 
I  was  better,  and  had  almost  recovered  my 
health  as  we  were  drawing  near  our  own  dear 
country.  "We  had  just  come  in  sight  of  the 
Neversink  Hills  of  New  Jersey,  at  the  close  of 
a  hot,  sultry  day,  when  a  violent  gale  suddenly 
sprang  up.  The  ship  was  under  full  sail.  Be 
fore  there  was  time  to  take  in  sail,  the  masts 
wrere  all  carried  away  with. one  fell  swoop,  and 
our  gallant  ship  was  on  her  beam  ends.  The 
sailors  succeeded  in  cutting  loose  the  masts,  and 
she  righted ;  but  six  of  the  crew  and  two  pas 
sengers  had  been  swept  overboard,  and  we  never 
saw  them  again.  The  night  came  on  dark  as 
Egypt,  and  the  storm  raged  more  and  more 
furious,  driving  our  helpless  vessel  directly  to 
wards  the  coast. 

"  The  captain  said  there  was  no  help  for  us. 
We  should  soon  be  dashed  either  on  the  rocks 
or  a  sand  bank.  I  took  the  most  precious  thing 
I  had  in  my  keeping,  and  secured  it  about  my 
waist.  The  ship  had  sprung  a  leak,  and  was 
filling  so  fast  I  could  not  go  down  to  the  cabin 
to  my  trunk.  At  last  the  shock  came.  The 
vessel  struck  on  a  sand  bar,  and  the  captain  en- 


240  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

treated  us  to  keep  up  courage  till  morning,  when 
boats  might  be  sent  to  our  relief. 

"  Morning  came,  but  no  human  beings  were 
in  sight.  A  low  sandy  beach  extended  along 
at  no  great  distance  from  the  ship,  and  all  who 
could  swim  prepared  to  go  on  shore.  I  was 
among  them  ;  and  with  a  fervent  prayer  to  an 
Almighty  Protector,  threw  myself  from  the 
sinking  vessel  into  the  sea,  and  swam  some  dis 
tance.  But  the  waves  were  running  high,  and 
my  strength  failed.  I  was  sinking,  while  the 
near  shore  was  before  my  eyes,  and  almost 
within  my  grasp.  As  I  sank  in  the  water  my 
whole  past  life  came  before  me,  and  an  agony 
indescribable,  that  I  should  no  more  see  my 
poor,  desolate  sister.  That  was  the  last  thought 
I  remember,  till  I  found  myself  in  a  shanty 
with  two  or  three  rough-looking  men  around 
me,  rolling  and  tumbling  me  about,  and  punch 
ing  and  rubbing  me  with  their  hard  hands. 
The  operation  was  harsh,  but  successful.  I  had 
been  washed  ashore  by  a  huge  wave,  and  then 
had  been  seized  by  these  wreckers,  who  by 
their  efforts  had  rescued  and  recuscitated  me." 

Here  the  narrator  seemed  quite  exhausted. 


UNDER   AST   tJMBKELLA.  241 

Bertha,  who  had  listened  without  once  inter 
rupting  him,  exclaimed,  "  Don't  tell  me  a  word 
more  till  you  have  refreshed  yourself  with  some 
cold  ham  and  biscuit." 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  she  took  a 
napkin  from  her  dinner  basket,  spread  it  on  her 
brother's  lap,  and  laid  on  it  some  of  Miss  Nan 
cy's  famous  biscuit,  cold  ham,  and  a  saucer  of 
freshly-gathered  raspberries. 

"  I  shall  rob  you  of  your  dinner,"  said  he, 
looking  wishfully  at  it. 

"And  suppose  you  do;  there  are  lots  more 
where  this  came  from.  Miss  Nancy  doesn't  eat 
much  herself,  but  I  really  believe  she  thinks  it 
a  virtue  in  other  people  to  relish  her  good  fare." 

Thus  urged,  "William  gladly  partook  of  what 
was  before  him.  Poor  fellow,  he  had  not  eaten 
a  morsel  for  twenty-four  hours. 

"While  he  was  thus  refreshing  himself,  Bertha 
talked  as  fast  as  her  tongue  could  wag  about 
Hiss  Nancy  and  all  the  Perrits,  Mrs.  Gracy  and 
Patsy,  and  their  several  sayings  and  doings. 
"  Now  tell  me,"  she  ended  by  saying — "  now 
tell  me  how  you  reached  this  spot  where  I  stum 
bled  upon  you  ?" 

16 


24:2  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

"  "Walked,  Bertha ;  I  walked  all  the  way,  for 
I  had  too  little  money  to  bear  the  expense  of 
railroad  traveling.  I  will  not  pain  you  by  re 
lating  the  particulars ;  I  have  had  a  rough  jour 
ney,  but,  thank  God,  I  have  arrived  and  my 
precious  parcel  is  safe." 

"  And  where  were  you  going  this  morning  ?" 

"To  Mrs.  Gracy's." 

"Mrs.  Gracy's!  That  is  just  where  I  was 
going,"  said  Bertha,  starting  up.  "  Come,  1 
will  be  the  good  angel  who  carries  an  um 
brella.'- 


CHAPTER  XXYI. 

AN   OVERWHELMING   STJRPKISE. 

As  Bertha  and  her  brother  entered  the  gate 
at  Mrs.  Gracy's,  William  said,  "  You  must  in 
troduce  me,  Bertha  ;  although  Hamilton  Gracy 
was  my  most  intimate  friend,  I  did  not  know 
the  other  members  of  the  family." 

•"  Miss  Gracy  is  in  school ;  I  will  take  you  to 
Mrs.  Gracy's  room,  and  leave  you  there."  Mrs. 
Gracy's  room  that  day  was  the  kitchen,  for  the 
good  lady  was  baking. 

Bertha  rushed  in  without  knocking,  and  not 
waiting  to  know  if  her  brother  followed,  ex 
claimed,  "  Here  is  my  brother  Bill ;  he  looks  as 
shabby  as  ever  Hamilton  did,  and  yet  I  was  de 
lighted  to  see  him." 

Mrs.  Gracy,  who  was  clearing  the  hot  oven, 
stopped  and  leaned  on  the  large  kitchen  shovel, 


244  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

dumb  with  surprise  at  the  sudden  announce 
ment.  Bertha  ran  off  to  the  school-room,  and 
'William  entered  the  kitchen. 

"William  Maxwell !     Is  it  possible !" 

He  bowed,  saying,  "  Even  my  sister  did  not 
know  me." 

Mrs.  Gracy  saw  that  he  was  fatigued,  and 
handed  him  a  chair,  saying,  "  If  you  will  ex 
cuse  me,  I  will  put  my  bread  and  pies  in  the 
oven,  and  then  I  will  take  you  to  a  cooler  room." 

William  involuntarily  turned  his  eyes  from 
Mrs.  Gracy  while  she  put  the  light  loaves  and 
the  nice  cherry  pies  in  the  oven.  It  was  per 
haps  polite  so  to  do,  yet  Mrs.  Gracy  was  not  in 
the  least  ashamed  of  her  occupation,  and  con 
tinued  chatting  about  the  weather  and  ordinary 
topics  till  the  oven  was  filled,  and  then  she  led 
the  way  to  her  "sitting  room,"  as  the  best 
apartment  in  the  house  was  called.  Placing 
her  guest  in  a  comfortable  rocking-chair,  she 
took  up  her  knitting  and  sat  down  near  him. 

"  I  hardly  know  how  to  begin  the  sad  story  I 
have  to  tell  you,  Madam,"  said  William. 

"  I  perceive  you.  are  not  well ;  you  had  been 
very  ill  when  you  wrote  to  Bertha." 


AN  OVERWHELMING   SURPRISE.  24:5 

"  It  is  not  of  myself  I  am  about  to  speak ; 
my  sufferings  and  shipwreck  I  will  relate  to 
you  another  time." 

"  Hamilton !  Has  anything  happened  to 
him  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Gracy,  with  alarm. 

"I  hope  not.  I  have  not  seen  him.  You 
probably  know  that  I  resided  for  some  time  in 
Canton.  "While  there  I  was  able  to  render 
essential  service  to  an  American  gentleman. 
We  became  well  acquainted,  and  during  my 
long  illness  he  was  kind  to  me.  I  recovered ; 
but  he,  in  the  mysterious  providence  of  God, 
was  seized  with  a  fever,  which  in  a  few  days 
terminated  fatally." 

Here  William  Maxwell  paused,  and  seemed 
much  embarrassed. 

Mrs.  Gracy  regarded  him  with  surprise  and 
said,  "you  are  fatiguing  yourself;  perhaps  you 
had  better  omit  the  remainder  of  your  story  till 
another  time." 

"  By  no  means.  It  is  difficult  for  me,  Madam, 
to  convey  to  you  tidings  so  sad,  and  yet  so  min 
gled  with  cause  for  gratitude." 

<  Was  the  gentleman  acquainted  with — with 


24:6  BEAUTIFUL   BEKTHA. 

Mr.  Gracy '4 "  inquired  she,  in  a  voice  almost 
inarticulate. 

"  The  gentleman  was " 

""Was  acquainted  with  him  since  he  left 
home,"  she  hastily  interrupted. 

"  The  gentleman  was  himself " 

"  My  husband ! "  Mrs.  Gracy  grew  deadly 
pale,  but  did  not  faint. 

William  untied  the  white  silk  handkerchief, 
saying,  "  Here  is  a  letter  from  Mr.  Gracy,  and 
a  casket  containing  some  articles  of  value,  and 
his  last  will." 

Mrs.  Gracy  covered  her  face  with  her  hands, 
and  groaned  aloud,  while  he  placed  them  on  her 
lap. 

Gently  saying,  "  God  bless  you,"  he  left  the 
house.  There  was  an  outer  door  to  Patsy's 
school,  opening  into  the  front  yard ;  William 
stepped  to  that  door  and  knocked  ;  it  was  opened 
by  Patsy.  Without  waiting  for  an  introduction 
she  grasped  his  hand,  and  in  her  own  frank 
manner  gave  him  a  cordial  welcome.  As  he 
was  thanking  her,  Bertha  rushed  by  him  with 
the  umbrella  and  dinner-basket,  crying,  "  Good 
bye,  Miss  Gracy,  I  can't  study  to-day." 


AN  OVERWHELMING   SUKPKISE.  247 

As  the  brother  and  sister  approached  Ivy 
Cottage,  Bertha  said,  "Miss  Nancy  does  not 
like  to  be  taken  by  surprise ;  I  will  run  round 
to  the  back  door,  and  tell  her  you  have  come 
home." 

Springing  lightly  over  a  rail-fence,  she  ran 
across  a  field  to  the  house,  while  he  walked  on 
ward  till  he  came  to  Ivy  Cottage,  and  there 
leaned  wearily  over  the  front  fence.  Miss 
Nancy,  who  was  in  the  front-yard  gathering 
chick-weed  for  her  canaries,  started  up,  and 
found  herself  face  to  face  with  the  stranger. 

"  Gracious  Heaven !  Who  are  you  ? "  ex 
claimed  she. 

"  William  Maxwell." 

"  Have  you  come  from  the  spiri t-  world  ?" 

"  Not  quite,"  replied  he,  supposing  Miss  Nancy 
had  inferred  from  his  last  letter  that  his  illness 
had  proved  fatal.  "  Not  quite ;  but  I  have  been 
on  its  borders." 

"  Oh,  Miss  Nancy  ! "  cried  Bertha,  rushing 
out  of  the  house,  "  I  meant  to  prepare  you  to 
see  my  brother,  and  so  I  ran  to  the  back  door; 
I  see  he  has  introduced  himself.  Come  in,  both 
of  you  ;  the  sun  is  broiling  hot." 


24:8  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

William  waited  for  an  invitation  from  Miss 
Nancy,  who  stood  gazing  wildly  at  him.  Ber 
tha  put  her  arm  around  Miss  Nancy's  waist, 
and  said  playfully,  "  He  mistook  me  for  a  good 
angel ;  I  am  afraid  you  mistake  him  for  a  bad 
one.  He  is  rather  dark-looking." 

"  Are  you  sure  it  is  your  brother  ? "  eagerly 
inquired  the  still  bewildered  Miss  Nancy. 

"  "Why  who  else  can  he  be  ?     Come  in." 

"  Yes ;  come  in  William  Maxwell.  It  is  twen 
ty  years  and  more  since  you  came  to  me  the 
last  time ;  yet,  you  are  heartily  welcome. 

"  Now,  Miss  Nancy,  you  needn't  pretend  to 
be  crazy ;  you  are  the  oddest,  kindest  body  in 
the  world." 

So  saying  Bertha  drew  Miss  Nancy  towards 
the  house,  and  beckoned  William  to  follow. 

William  had  a  long  story  to  tell,  but  Miss 
Nancy,  who  had  fully  come  to  her  senses,  in 
sisted  that  he  should  wait  till  after  dinner. 

Bertha,  who  seemed  perfectly  at  home,  showed 
him  to  a  neat  bed-room,  and  then  insisted  on 
brushing  his  coat,  and  left  him  to  enjoy  the 
luxury  of  plenty  of  cold  water. 

When  she  brought  back  the  coat  there  were 


AIT   OVERWHELMING-  SURPRISE.  24:9 

with  it  a  plain  linen  collar  of  her  own,  and  two 
nice  pocket  handkerchiefs. 

"  Now  Bill,  put  on  the  collar,  and  one  of  those 
handkerchiefs  for  a  cravat,  and  you  will  look 
quite  like  a  young  clergyman." 

This  simple  act  of  kindness  touched  the  bro 
ther  tenderly,  and  though  he  that  saw  she  was  no 
longer  beautiful,  he  admired  her  countenance, 
beaming  with  kindness,  more  than  he  ever  had 
the  proud  Bertha. 


CHAPTEK  xxyn. 

THE   IVOEY   CASKET. 

How  different  are  the  allotments  of  an  all- 
wise  Providence  from  the  expectations  of  short 
sighted  man !  Bertha  Maxwell  had  expected 
her  brother  to  return  home  "rich  as  Croesus," 
and  he  came  penniless. 

Mrs.  Gracy,  who  had  humbly  reconciled  her 
self  to  comparative  poverty,  suddenly  became 
the  possessor  of  a  large  fortune. 

For  many  years  she  had  believed  Mr.  Gracy 
to  be  no  longer  among  the  living,  and  never 
spoke  of  him  even  to  her  children. 

Having  nearly  squandered  the  rich  inherit 
ance  of  his  wife,  he  left  her  and  wandered  from 
place  to  place,  at  times  in  great  poverty.  Wish 
ing  to  place  himself  as  far  as  possible  from  all 
who  had  ever  known  him,  he  at  last  went  to 
China.  In  Canton  he  found  employment,  at 


THE   IVOEY   CASKET.  251 

first  of  a  very  humble  kind,  but  at  length  va 
rious  opportunities  of  making  money  offered, 
and  Mr.  Gracy  resolved  to  regain  what  he  had 
extravagantly  spent,  and  restore  it  to  his  wife. 
To  this  purpose  he  devoted  all  his  thoughts  and 
actions,  and  as  "  extremes  beget  extremes,"  in 
his  eager  pursuit  of  wealth  he  became  a  com 
plete  miser.  He  dressed  meanly  and  lived  by 
himself,  but  his  banking-house,  or  broker's  office, 
was  fitted  up  in  an  elegant,  attractive  style,  and 
it  was  bruited  abroad  that  he  was  immensely 
rich. 

One  night  as  he  was  going  home  from  his 
office,  and  passing  along  a  narrow  street,  he 
was  suddenly  attacked  by  two  strong  men,  one 
of  whom  knocked  him  down  and  held  him  fast, 
while  the  other  searched  for  the  money  he  was 
supposed  to  have  about  him.  Mr.  Gracy  strug 
gled  violently  to  release  himself;  the  robber 
who. held  him  down  drew  a  long  knife,  and 
was  just  about  to  thrust  it  in  his  throat  when  he 
was  arrested  by  a  sudden  and  violent  blow  on 
the  side  of  the  head.  He  reeled  for  a  moment, 
but  soon  found  his  feet,  and  both  the  robbers 
ran  off  at  full  speed. 


252  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

Mr.  Gracy  sprang  up,  and  by  the  dim  light 
of  a  street-lantern  perceived  a  young  man  with 
a  stout  rattan  in  his  hand,  who  had  been  his 
brave  deliverer. 

"Are  you  hurt,  sir?"  eagerly  inquired  the 
stranger. 

"  Not  much ;  you  have  saved  my  money — 
my  life,  I  mean  ; — I  saw  the  glittering  knife  at 
my  throat.  "Who  are  you  ? " 

"  My  name  is  Maxwell ;  I  am  an  American." 

"  A  Yankee  !  Well,  you  are  a  brave  one ; 
come  to  my  office  to-morrow  (here  is  my  card), 
and  I  will  talk  over  this  matter  with  you." 

"  I  will  see  you  safely  home,  sir." 

"  Thank  you ;  there  is  no  need  of  it ;  the 
cowards  will  not  molest  me  again.  I  am  near 
my  lodgings," 

Those  mean  lodgings  Mr.  Gracy  did  not  like 
to* expose  to  a  stranger. 

William  Maxwell  called  the  next  day,  as  re 
quested,  at  the  office  of  Mr.  Gracy.  Much  sur 
prised  was  the  latter  to  learn  who  had  thus  been 
brought  to  his  notice. 

After  the  strictest  injunction  to  secresy,  he 
told  William  his  whole  history. 


THE  IVORY   CASKET.  253 

Not  long  after  this  event  William  was  seized 
with  the  illness  which  he  mentioned  in  his  let 
ter  to  Bertha.  This  illness  was  severe  and  pro 
tracted.  The  expenses  incident  upon  it  ex 
hausted  his  funds,  and  Mr.  Gracy  offered  to 
lend  him  money;  that  was  his  kindness.  He 
would  not  willingly  have  abstracted  a  dollar 
from  what  he  believed  belonged  to  his  wife.  So 
rigid  was  he  in  his  economy,  that  a  Chinaman 
living  on  rats  and  mice,  and  a  handful  of  rice  a 
day,  could  scarcely  have  exceeded  him. 

From  William  Mr.  Gracy  received  the  most 
glowing  account  which  partial  friendship  could 
give  of  his  son  Hamilton.  When  he  saw  the 
letter  Patsy  wrote  for  Bertha  to  William,  the 
first  tears  which  had  moistened  his  eyes  for 
many  years  fell  on  the  paper  as  he  exclaimed  : 
"My  own  little  Patsy!  How  beautifully  the 
child  writes  P  Indeed,  he  seemed  quite  to 
have  forgotten  that  Time,  in  its  rapid  flight, 
had  brought  Patsy  to  the  verge  of  womanhood. 

He  now  resolved  to  return  to  his  family  as 
soon  as  he  could  settle  up  his  business  advanta 
geously.  About  this  time  he  made  his  will, 
had  it  legally  attested,  and  a  copy  of  it  placed 


254:  BEAUTIFUL   BEETHA. 

in  the  hands  of  the  American  consul,  wha,  to 
gether  with  William,  were  the  witnesses.  By 
this  will  Mr.  Gracy  gave  the  whole  of  the  large 
fortune  which  he  had  accumulated  through 
years  of  toil  and  deprivation,  to  his  wife.  His 
ample  funds  had  from  time  to  time  been  safely 
invested  in  New  York. 

'Man  appoints,  and  God  disappoints.'  Mr. 
Gracy  had  named  the  very  day  for  leaving 
Canton,  and  had  taken  passage  in  a  ship  for 
New  York ;  but  it  was  not  so  to  be.  He  was 
suddenly  attacked  by  a  disease  which  from  the 
first  threatened  to  be  fatal.  He  sent  for  Wil 
liam  Maxwell  and  entrusted  to  him  an  ivory 
casket  containing  the  will,  a  number  of  busi 
ness  certificates,  and  two  small  parcels ;  a  doll 
and  a  few  Chinese  toys  were  in  one,  for  "  little 
Patsy;"  in  the  other,  for  his  son  Hamilton, 
were  a  valuable  watch  and  a  miniature  of 
Margaret  Hamilton  before  she  became  Mrs. 
Gracy,  which  her  husband  had  kept  through 
seasons  of  extreme  want,  as  mementoes  of  other 
days.  To  Mrs.  Gracy  he  wrote  a  few  lines  with 
a  feeble,  trembling  hand,  as  follows : 


TIIE  IVOKY  CASKET.  255 

DEAK,  MY  LONG-NEGLECTED  WlFE  : 

"  I  am  on  the  very  verge  of  the  unknown 
world  (God  have  mercy  on  my  soul !)  Can  you 
forgive  all  the  wrong  I  have  done  you  ?  The 
fortune  which  I  now  restore  to  you  I  feel  to  be 
a  miserable  compensation  for  the  long  years  of 
labor  and  trial  to  which  my  extravagance  and 
desertion  have  subjected  you.  I  implore  your 
forgiveness  with  my  dying  breath. 

"  From  young  Maxwell  I  learn  that  Hamilton 
is  like  his  good  mother,  and  an  honor  to  her ; 
and  that  Patsy  is  a  cheerful,  industrious  little  girl. 
God  bless  them !  Do  not  let  them  despise  the 
memory  of  their  erring  father. 

"I  owe  much  to  Maxwell — life  itself,  and 
more  than  life.  His  Christian  example  has 
been  a  light  to  my  path,  and  his  Christian  pray 
ers  will  ascend  when  I  pass  through  the  dark 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death. 

"  He  owes  me  nothing.  Be  very  kind  to  him 
for  the  sake  of  your  penitent  husband,  who  now 
bids  you  and  his  dear  children  farewell.  God 
grant  it  may  not  be  eternal ! 

"JAMES  GKACY." 


16 


256  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

The  day  after  Mr.  Gracy  had  written  this 
letter,  he  handed  a  purse  to  William  Maxwell, 
saying,  "Take  this  and  use  it  for  your  return 
to  your  own  country.  My  passage  is  now  taken 
for  another  world.  I  too  am  going  home." 

After  this,  Mr.  Gracy's  mind  wandered,  and 
the  next  morning,  while  "William  was  reading 
by  his  bed-side  the  prayer  for  the  dying,  his 
spirit  passed  to  the  world  of  retribution. 

Mr.  Gracy,  with  the  habitual  carefulness  he 
had  of  late  practiced  with  regard  to  pecuniary 
matters,  had  only  reserved  from  his  funds 
enough  for  his  expenses  till  he  reached  home. 
When  William  had  paid  the  physician's  bill, 
and  other  bills  incurred  by  sickness  and  death, 
the  remainder  was  barely  sufficient  for  passage- 
money.  Poor  William  had  only  a  small  sum 
of  his  own  in  addition.  Yet  all  he  asked  of  his 
employers  in  Canton  was  a  letter  of  introduc 
tion  to  the  house  of  Horner,  Minturn  &  Co. 

Nobly  did  he  perform  the  sacred  duty  en 
trusted  to  him.  On  the  long  passage,  instead 
of  repining  at  the  misfortunes  which  had  be 
fallen  him,  he  gratefully  dwelt  on  the  opportu 
nities  for  doing  good  which  had  been  presented 


THE   IVOEY    CASKET.  257 

to  him,  and  was  thankful  to  be  relieved  from 
pecuniary  obligations  to  Mr.  Gracy.  lie  re 
gained  his  health  during  the  voyage,  and  made 
himself  useful  to  his  fellow  passengers  and  the 
rough  sailors,  among  whom  he  was  a  special 
favorite.  This  latter  information,  however,  he 
did  not  vouchsafe  to  his  auditors,  Miss  Nancy 
and  Bertha,  but  he  told  them  the  substance  of 
what  has  just  been  related. 

Miss  Nancy,  when  he  had  finished  the  mourn 
ful  account  of  his  shipwreck  and  subsequent 
journey,  called  Bertha  out  of  the  parlor,  and 
leading  the  way  to  her  own  bed-room,  which 
Bertha  had  never  before  been  permitted  to 
enter,  she  locked  the  door,  and  then  opening 
an  old-fashioned  chest,  she  took  out  a  huge  red 
morocco  pocket-book. 

"  Bertha,  darling,  take  your  brother's  money 
to  him,"  said  she,  handing  out  a  fifty  dollar 
note. 

"  My  brother's  money !" 

"  Yes,  to  be  sure ;  you  know  we  have  not 
spent  all  his  money,  only  half  of  it ;  hand  this 
to  him  and  tell  him  it  is  his  own." 


258  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA. 

Bertha  was  delighted  to  be  the  bearer  of  such 
a  communication,  and  flew  down  stairs. 

"  There  now,  Bill,  what  a  nice  thing  it  was 
to  put  your  money  in  Miss  Nancy's  bank — here 
it  is.  I  owe  you  fifty  more,  which  I  mean  to 
pay  one  of  these  days." 

It  was  some  time  before  "William  could  be 
induced  to  take  the  whole ; — a  part  of  it,  he 
said,  he  should  need — but  he  had  in  his  wallet 
a  letter  of  introduction  to  Horner,  Minturn  & 
Co.,  which  he  thought  would  secure  to  him  a 
place  in  their  counting-house. 

"  But  you.  must  make  yourself  presentable, 
Bill.  You  don't  know  what  an  expert  seam 
stress  I  have  become.  I  will  go  to  the  village 
and  buy  lots  of  things  to  make  up  for  you,  and 
Miss  Nancy  will  cut  them  out.  Isn't  she  the 
queerest,  dearest  old  maid  that  ever  was  known  ? 
Besides,  you  are  sick  and  forlorn,  and  Miss 
Nancy  says  you  must  recruit." 


CHAPTEE  XXVHL 

GRATITUDE. 

IT  was  some  days  before  Mrs.  Gracy  commu 
nicated  the  startling  intelligence  which  she  had 
received  to  her  son  Hamilton.  After  the  mel 
ancholy  story  had  been  briefly  told,  she  con 
cluded  her  letter  as  follows :  . 

*  *  -x-  *  * 

"And  now,  my  dear  son,  relax  not  your 
efforts.  The  riches  which  have  once  taken 
wings  may  find  them  again.  By  their  removal 
you  have  been  urged  by  a  sufficient  motive  to 
strenuous  exertion,  and  God  only  knows  from 
how  much  temptation  you  have  thus  been  de 
livered. 

"  An  immense  weight  of  responsibility  now 
devolves  on  us  ; — we  are  to  be  the  almoners  of 
God's  bounty.  "We  are  to  seek  out  the  means 
for  doing  good  most  judiciously  and  effectively. 


260  BEAUTIFUL  BEKTHA. 

"  Patsy  and  I  have  been  much  surprised  and 
pleased  with  Bertha  Maxwell's  late  conduct. 
Thinking  that  Patsy  would  not  be  able  to  go 
on  with  her  school  as  usual,  she  came  and 
eagerly  begged  to  take  her  place.  Patsy  al 
lowed  her  to  do  so?  knowing  she  was  well  qual 
ified  to  teach.  When  the  week  ended,  Patsy 
told  Bertha  she  should  be  able  to  resume  her 
duties  on  Monday  morning.  Bertha  colored 
hesitated,  and  at  length  in  a  very  humble  man 
ner  entreated  as  the  greatest  possible  favor,  that 
Patsy  would  give  up  the  school  entirely,  and 
allow  her  to  take  it. 

"After  consulting  me,  Patsy  granted  this 
most  unexpected  request.  •  William  Maxwell's 
health  was  so  much  impaired  that  Miss  Nancy 
will  not  yet  allow  him  to  leave  her  house. 

"  Hasten  to  us,  my  son,  for  there  are  business 
matters  whjch  require  your  attention,  and  we 
long  for  your  sympathy. 

"  Most  devotedly,  YOUR  MOTHEE." 

A  part  of  Hamilton  Gracy's  reply  was  as 
follows : 


GRATITUDE.  261 

*  *  "  The  matter  about  which  1  consulted 
you  in  a  former  letter,  my  dear  mother,  has 
been  decided.  I  confessed  to  Mr.  Perrit  my 
attachment  to  his  daughter  Esther,  and  honestly 
stated  to  him  that  I  had  no  expectations  except 
ing  what  must  arise  from  my  own  exertions  in 
my  profession.  I  therefore  did  not  think  it 
right  to  make  a  proposal,  or  even  allow  Esther 
to  discover  how  deeply  and  entirely  I  was  de 
voted  to  her.  Moreover,  I  had  no  reason  to  be 
certain  that  this  affection  was  reciprocated. 
Mr.  Perrit  pleasantly  replied  that  I  must  learn 
that  from  herself,  and  heartily  wished  me  suc 
cess.  Emboldened  by  his  generous  approval,  I 
revealed  to  my  gentle  Esther  the  hopes  and 
fears  which  had  long  agitated  me,  and  thank 
God,  she  consented  to  unite  herself  for  weal  or 
for  woe  with  your  portionless  son ; — rich  only 
in  love  and  hope.  Rejoice  withjne,  dear  mo 
ther,  that  this  avowal  was  made  before  the  re 
ception  of  the  astonishing  news. 

"  And  my  friend,  my  noble  friend,  William 
Maxwell,  what  can  we  do  for  him  ?  Such  ser 
vices  as  his  can  never  be  repaid.  More  than 
ever  may  we  now  call  ourselves  Damon  and 


262  BEAUTIFUL  BERTHA, 

Pythias,  excepting  that  the  debt  of  gratitude  is 
all  on  my  side.  He  is  the  chosen  brother  of 
my  soul,  and  I  cannot  be  entirely  happy  till 
I  have  walked  arm-in-arm  by  the  brook-side, 
and  confided  to  him,  as  I  did  in  boyhood,  all 
that  is  in  my  heart. 

"  I  hope  to  be  with  you  in  the  course  of  the 
week  ; — imperative  duty  detains  me  at  present. 

"I  sincerely  rejoice  with  you  in  Bertha's  im 
provement.  I  have  no  doubt  her  countenance 
is  now  more  truly  '  angelic  '  than  it  was  when 
I  raved  about  it  in  days  of  youthful  folly.  Give 
my  kindest  regards  to  her  and  to  good  Miss 
Nancy.  Your  grateful  and  loving  son, 

"HAMILTON  GRACY." 

In  a  few  days  Hamilton  was  with  his  mother 
and  sister,  entering  earnestly  into  all  their  joys 
and  sorrows.  But  his  more  immediate  personal 
interests  did  not  prevent  him  from  feeling  the 
deepest  sympathy  with  his  friend,  William 
Maxwell,  who  was  yet  unable  to  leave  for  New 
York. 

The  first  walk  that  the  invalid  took  was  with 
Hamilton  to  the  grotto  and  the  brook.  There 


GRATITUDE.  263 

they  talked  long  of  other  days  and  of  the 
changes  which  had  since  taken  place. 

"Without  a  particle  of  envious  feeling  did 
William  listen  to  the  fair  prospects  which  his 
friend  Hamilton  opened  up  like  a  long  glorious 
vista  into  the  future,  although  a  dark  curtain 
seemed  to  vail  his  own  prospects,  and  almost 
shut  out  every  ray  of  hope. 

"  Cheer  up,  "William,"  said  Gracy,  "  you  are 
still  the  same  man.  With  health,  energy  and 
courage  will  return.  A  man  is  wrecked  indeed 
who  loses  his  character — his  reputation.  True, 
you  have  to  begin  anew,  but  your  experience  o± 
life,  its  hardships  and  its  vicissitudes,  is  a  lesson 
of  inestimable  value,  which,  although  it  has 
cost  you  dear,  has  tried  your  very  soul  and 
found  it  true  metal — pure  gold." 

"  You  are  too  partial,  Hamilton.  I  am  every 
way  vastly  your  inferior." 

"  Come,  now,  we  will  not  make  comparisons, 
nor  compliments,  either,  unless  the  fairies,  Yio- 
letta  and  Rosamia,  should  suddenly  start  out 
of  the  ruinous  grotto.  Those  days  of  romance 
and  poetry  were  delightful." 

u  Like  a  glorious  morning  in  June  which 


264  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

heralds  a  coming  thunder  storm,"  replied  Wil 
liam,  mournfully. 

"Which  storm  ends  in  a  brilliant  sunset  and 
a  splendid  bow  of  promise,"  replied  his  friend, 
cheeringly. 

•x-        #        *        *        *        *        * 

Miss  Bertha  Maxwell's  first  experience  of 
school  teaching  was  not  without  its  trials.  What 
useful  occupation  ever  is  ?  Idleness  surely  has 
greater  trials.  It  was,  however,  an  excellent 
discipline,  exactly  what  Bertha  needed. 

Although  several  years  older  than  the  other 
pupils,  she  had  been  their  school-fellow,  and 
when  she  took  the  arm-chair  and  assumed  the 
dignity  becoming  that  elevated  situation,  they 
were  disposed  to  view  it  in  a  ludicrous  light; 
smiles  and  suppressed  sneers  greeted  her  from 
several  rosy  lips,  and  winks  and  nods  that  por 
tended  mischief. 

The  first  day  she  was  so  much  discouraged 
and  annoyed,  that  she  was  ready  to  give  up, 
and  several  times  turned  to  the  black-board  and 
wrote  or  drew  diagrams,  to  conceal  tears  of  vex 
ation.  But  she  persevered  from  day  to  day  and 
week  to  week,  and  at  the  end  of  the  first  quar- 


GRATITUDE.  265 

ter  the  peculiar  difficulties  in  her  path  were 
vanquished.  Ordinary  trials  she  had  the  cour 
age  thenceforth  bravely  to  encounter,  because 
she  had  gained  the  respect  and  love  of  her 
pupils. 

"Miss  Nancy,  I  am  so  happy,"  said  she; 
"  I  never  was  so  happy  in  all  my  life.  I  am 
going  to  pay  off  my  debts.  You  needn't  look 
so  doubtful,  dear,  I  am.  Not  to  you,  because 
you  pay  yourself  all  the  way  with  the  pleasure 
of  doing  good ;  and  so  would  brother  "William 
if  he  did  not  need  something  more  material. 
I  am  going  to  send  him  the  fifty  dollars.  I 
wish  it  could  be  doubled  and  doubled  again: 
and  it  shall  be  if  my  life  and  health  are  spared. 
You  know  he  will  want  to  begin  business  him 
self  one  of  these  days,  instead  of  being  a  mere 
clerk,  and  I  must  help  him  along.  I  never  was 
so  delighted  with  any  money  as  I  am  with  this 
that  I  have  earned  for  myself.  I  cannot  help 
laughing  when  I  remember  my  silly  contempt 
for  the  vulgar  people,  as  I  considered  them,  who 
Lad  to  work.  To  be  sure,  mine  is  head  work, 
thanks  to  you,  dear  little  busy  bee,  who  saved 


266  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

me  from  the  labor  for  which  I  had  not  sufficient 
strength." 

"To  go  farther  back ;  you  are  indebted  to 
Esther  Perrit  and  Louisa  for  being  here  at  all." 

"How is  that?" 

"If  you  had  not  remembered  how  happy 
they  appeared  to  be  with  me,  you  would  not 
have  come  to  the  old  maid  in  the  log-house.  If 
Esther  had  not  exerted  a  blessed  influence  over 
me  while  here,  I  should  not  have  been  willing 
to  receive  and  retain  you  when  you  did  come." 

"  Especially  with  a  carpet-bag !  Often  have 
I  laughed  with  Louisa  over  your  fearful  alarm 
at  the  sight  of  their  carpet-bag  on  their  first 
arrival." 

"  Ah,  that  visit  was  one  of  the  greatest  bless 
ings  Providence  ever  granted  to  me.  Without 
it  I  might  to  this  day  have  been  living  in 
gloomy  solitude !" 

"Instead  of  having  been  tormented  by  the 
freaks  and  follies  of  a  silly,  wayward  girl,  who, 
after  all  your  trouble  and  care,  has  nothing  to 
return  for  it  but  grateful  love." 

Miss  Nancy  left  the  room  with  her  eyes  swim-  • 
ming  in  tears,  and  soon  returned.     "Here,  Ber- 


GRATITUDE.  267 

tha,  is  your  dear  little  watch.  I  sent  for  it  long 
ago,  but  I  solemnly  promised  Mrs.  Gracy  I 
would  not  give  it  to  you  till  your  gratitude  to 
me  was  deep  and  sincere." 

Bertha's  eyes  sparkled  with  delight  for  a  mo 
ment  ;  then  a  deep  shade  of  sadness  flitted  over 
her  face.  Painful  associations  were  summoned 
up  by  that  watch. 

After  a  few  minutes'  silence,  she  threw  her 
arms  around  Miss  Nancy's  neck,  and  sobbing 
like  a  child,  cried,  "  Oh,  Miss  Nancy,  I  would 
rather  be  Bertha  the  loved  than  Bertha  the 
beautiful !" 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"NOT   EXPECTED   TO   HAPPEN." 
LETTER  FEOM  LOUISA  PEEEIT  TO  BEETHA  MAXWELL. 

"  December  Z$,  18—. 
"Mr  DEAE  BEETHA: 

"  Pack  up  your  trunks,  aunty  and  you,  and 
come  to  us  immediately.  We  want  you  for  the 
Christmas  holidays.  Mrs.  Gracy  and  Patsy 
are  already  with  us.  I  have  a  grand  secret  to 
tell,  and  I  am  permitted  to  have  the  pleasure 
of  telling  it,  because — why  ?  That  I  will  not 
tell. 

"  You  know  Hamilton  has  been  engaged  more 
than  two  years,  and  is  now  established  in  his 
profession.  "Well,  'the  consummation  devoutly 
to  be  wished '  (trite  quotation,  that !),  is  appoint 
ed  for  New  Year's  Day.  You  know,  moreover, 
that  Mr.  William  Maxwell  is  now  the  junior 
partner  in  the  house  of  Horncr,  Minturn  &  Co. 


NOT   EXPECTED   TO  HAPPEN.  261) 

"  All  these  things  you  know,  but  you  don't 
know  that  we  are  to  have  a  double  wedding ! 
There  now,  exercise  your  Yankee  faculties,  and 
guess  who  are  the  parties. 

"  William  Maxwell  and  Louisa  Perrit. 

"  No  ;  guess  again. 

"  Who  are  to  be  bridesmaids  ? 

"  Miss  Nancy  Perrit,  Miss  Bertha  Maxwell, 
and  Miss  Louisa  Perrit. 

"Bride  and  bridegroom,  Mr.  Maxwell  and 
Miss  Gracy. 

"There,  you  have  it.  William  wished  to  tell 
you  himself,  but  I  begged  it  as  a  special  favor. 

^  Marriages  do  take  place  in  real  life,  as  in 
romances,  as  the  winding  up  of  youthful  history; 
but,  in  real  life,  not  exactly  as  they  are  expected 
to  happen. 

"  Papa  and  mamma  so  urgently  insisted  Da 
mon  and  Pythias  should  have  but  one  wedding, 
that  there  was  no  refusing  them. 

"  Tell  good  old  Orpy  this  wedding  would  be 
incomplete  without  a  bride's-loaf  of  her  famous 
fruit  cake ;  her  favorite,  Esther,  says  so. 

"  The  brides  give  dresses,  gloves,  &c.  to  us, 
so  you  need  make  no  preparations  of  that  kind. 


270  BEAUTIFUL   BERTHA. 

"Write  at  what  hour  we  may  expect  yon, 
and  papa  will  meet  you  in  the  carriage  at  the 
station. 

"  In  the  hurly-burly  of  the  approaching  nup 
tials,  I,  bridesmaid  to  be,  write  in  a  flutter  and 
in  haste.     Patsy  and  Esther,  brides  to  be,  are 
as  solemn  and  sedate  as  daguerreotypes. 
"  Yours  truly, 

"  LOUISA  PEKKIT." 

When  Bertha  had  finished  reading  this  letter 
aloud,  she  exclaimed,  "  This  is  astonishing  news ! 
I  always  thought  William  would  marry  Louisa 
Perrit ;  but  Patsy  will  make  him  a  better  wife 
than  anybody  else  in  the  whole  world.  Will 
you  go  to  the  wedding,  Miss  Nancy?  Will 
you  go  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  will ;  but  not  to  be  bridesmaid ;  that 
would  render  the  whole  ceremony  ridiculous. 
1  will  set  Orpy  immediately  about  making  the 
cake.  You,  Bertha,  dismiss  school  for  a  fort 
night,  and  write  to  Louisa  that  we  shall  leave 
home  in  the  morning  train,  day  after  to-morrow.'- 

It  was  a  brilliant,  and  yet  a  sensible  wedding, 
for  the  guests  were  all  near  and  dear  friends. 


NOT  EXPECTED   TO   HAPPEN.  27- 

The  solemn  ceremony  was  performed  by  the 
Eev.  Mr.  Helton,  of  Sylvania,  and  felt  in  a  suit 
able  manner  by  the  young  persons  who  were 
taking  those  momentous  vows,  which  nothing 
but  veligious  principles,  aided  by  the  grace  of 
Gud  would  enable  them  faithfully  to  fulfil. 


